House for my Parents

[dave1949]

Looks good, Eddie. Sorry to hear the bug was chasing you around.

 

[Gunny]

Great post Eddie, you do good work and I really like your attention to detail. Speaking of kitchen cabinets, prior to retiring, my wife and I spent two years working out plans on paper and looking into cabinets. I mention the two years because we looked into all the custom cabinet makers in the area and all the options available to us in the bigger stores. We finally decided on Kraftmaid and we've never regretted that decision. With some promotional discounts and hours of working with the people in sales, our cabinets were a bit cheaper than the custom cabinets and we've had no problems, defects or any kind of issue.

 

[WayneB]

Eddie you are doing excellent work, as always. I always thought retirement homes should be custom built and downsized to a minimum of two bedrooms, and a man cave…

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a question about natural gas lines.

We are having natural gas run into the land. They will be doing a road bore under the highway and then trenching it in along a path that we have all agreed on. They will set the meter and then it's up to us what whe want to do with it inside the house. Fireplace, Water Heater, House Heating, Dryer and Stove are what we are planning.

Back in CA where we are from, black pipe was used in everything that I've ever worked on. Here, it seems that flex stainless steel is used in all the houses I work on and what every plumber I've talked to uses.

My dad wants to use black pipe. He said it's better, but wont say how or why. I'm concerned about all the joints and would much rather go with stainless. I think he just wants to use it because that's what he is familiar with and wont tell me why it's better because he doesn't really know if it is or isn't. I did a quick google search last night, but didn't find anything. I'll spend more time on it tonight, and plan to talk to a few pros sometime this week and see what they say.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[charlz]

One will have a ligh switch on it for the outlets on the eves for Christmas lights. Just about ready to deck the roof

Eddie

My house has Christmas light outlets under the eaves and a switch in an indoor closet. It would have been nice if they had put another electrical box after the switch so a single timer could turn all the lights on and off rather than a hodgepodge of timers under the eaves. Something like this:

In-Wall Mechanical 24-Hour Programmable Timer - White Model # 59745 Internet # 203638999

My washer and dryer sit in a sort of closet where you can close the doors so it has a vent fan on a timer like this to help deal with moisture (I guess, we never close the doors and never run the fan).

 

[tommu56]

I'm not sure you will be able to use corrugated SS pipe I tried up here you have to go to school and be approved to use it buy the mfg.

Black iron pipe is defiantly more robust than the yellow SS hose they use around here.
The fittings are expensive and I only think if labor is expensive would the hose install be cheaper.

tom

 

[JD 4520]

Eddie - regarding natural gas line...first, I'm not an expert rather have built 2 houses of my own and stay familiar with materials. Black iron is still very much used particularly in the northwest, as well as stainless but neither in the ground as far as I know. It sounds like you have a two part question, one for the bury through the property to the house and the next inside the walls.

As far as bury goes, I have had both a direct bury and a conduit insert. Obviously the conduit cost more but can be more accessible if needed and may depend on circumstances. Direct bury is still regularly used around here. As for the pipe in the walls, if you are doing it yourself, you will want to borrow, rent or buy the tools need it do it unless your pipe run is limited and you can make a few trips to the store to get all the parts you need. I have never had issue with black pipe leaks. I don't have a preference either.

Hope that is helpful.

 

[TnWV]

In my area, and in my home, it's 1-1.5" plastic from the gas meter to the house, black iron inside the house and stainless flex from a valve on the black iron to the appliance. I usually see a 3/4 main line down the center of the house with 1/2 branching off to each "appliance". Then a valve and flex between the black iron and appliance. This is how i did my current home and how I plan to do my new home. I have never seen a house plumbed for gas entirely with the stainless flex, but that certainly doesn't make it wrong. Like most things, how it is done, will probably vary by region.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Go to your plumbing supply store (not home depot) and ask if their having a training class soon for gastite or whoever makes the gas line they use. It is simple and a lot faster, easier and less troublesome then black pipe. Gastite is the one we're trained for and it involved sitting through a 4 hour class in the supply warehouse and just learning the dos and donts. Very easy.

 

[IslandTractor]

I am no expert but here in New England black pipe still seems to be the standard.