Gas Pipe Cutting Guide: Equipment and Methods

In some cases, the owners of gas stoves have a need to shorten the pipes supplied to them. When planning it, considerations of a technical and organizational nature should be taken into account.

Why you need to cut the gas pipe

The need for trimming a gas pipe arises for the following reasons:

• Redevelopment of the kitchen with a change in the position of the stove.
• If the pipe creates serious interference with landscaping.
• Overhaul of the kitchen, combined with the shortening of the pipe connection.
• Personal wishes for ease of maintenance of the stove.

Shortening the gas pipe in the kitchen is most expected by residents of the first and last floors of multi-apartment buildings, where a significant number of various communications are concentrated. This difficulty arose back in the days of the USSR, when not much attention was paid to the convenience of planning.

Owners of small apartments with tiny kitchens also have certain problems with pipes interfering with normal life.

Also, the option should not be ruled out when gas pipes interfere with the installation of new kitchen equipment (a heating boiler, for example, or a dishwasher).

Existing restrictions

The main condition that must be strictly observed before starting work is the fulfillment of the requirements of SNiP 2.04.08-87, which boil down to the following restrictions:

• gas wiring in residential buildings is carried out exclusively by welding metal pipes;
• threaded connections are allowed only at the points of articulation with the metering device (meter) and at the points of docking with fittings of consumers available in the kitchen;

• after its trimming (shortening), free access to the gas pipeline section must be provided, which is necessary for servicing the gas pipeline;

• according to SNiP 2.04.08-87, the valves that block the flow of gas to kitchen consumers must also remain open (it is not allowed to hide them in furniture niches);

• the distance from the kitchen pipe to various types of chimney must be at least 2 meters horizontally and 80 centimeters vertically;
• the distances specified in the regulations must also be maintained in relation to the heating pipe lines.

Note! In accordance with the requirements of SNiP 2.04.08-87, a ventilation system is required in the room, providing an effective outflow of air from it.

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Upon completion of work, all detachable connections are checked for leakage using a special control device called a gas analyzer.

What is required for this

Before cutting pipes, preparation is carried out, including organizational and technical measures. Only after their completion it will be possible to proceed directly to cutting. Consider each of the preparatory procedures in more detail.

Organizational events

At the preparatory stage, organizational issues are resolved, that is:

• Obtaining permission to carry out work from the city gas service.
• Their coordination with local utilities.
• Registration of an application for installation work related to the shutdown of the gas riser for a certain time.

Before conducting them, you need to contact a licensed gas company.

Important! Cutting a gas pipe without obtaining a permit and obtaining a pre-registered permit is strictly prohibited!

Next, a tool is selected that is suitable for cutting pipes in the kitchen. For these purposes, the following equipment is usually used:

• hacksaw for metal;

• branded pipe cutter;

Let’s consider them in more detail.

Hacksaw or pipe cutter

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A rather laborious method of cutting with a hacksaw is used only as a last resort, when it cannot be done using another working tool.

It is most convenient to use a branded pipe cutter designed specifically for this purpose. The benefits of working with him include:

• accurate processing of edges;

• strict perpendicularity of the cut relative to the axis of the pipe;

• smooth ends of the circle;

• absence of metal filings.

However, this option is not ideal either.

Additional Information! Gas pipes must be laid very close to the wall in accordance with current regulations.

That is why cutting them with a pipe cutter is not always convenient. The only way out is to slightly bend the shortened pipe section to the side.

Bulgarian or gas welding

The best approach to cutting gas supply pipes is to use a grinder or gas welding for this. Its advantages are high cutting speed and minimum labor costs. But this raises the following problems:

• The operator must be able to work with a grinder or a welding machine.
• For the grinder, you will need to stock up on a suitable cutting disc.
• When using gas welding, you must have a special permit from the services responsible for fire safety issues.
• In both cases, special protection of walls and floors from a large number of sparks will be required.

Therefore, this option is not the best.

Trimming a gas pipe (work procedure)

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As soon as permission to remove the interfering part of the gas pipeline in the kitchen has been received, and the time to turn off the gas riser has been agreed, you can proceed to cutting the pipes in the chosen way. The procedure for performing operations in each of the considered cases is described below.

Hacksaw work

When using this technique, the most important thing is to stock up on a good metal sheet, which will ensure the success of the operation by 50 percent. Before starting it, it is recommended to make a shallow mark with a file, which allows you to set the direction of the cut.

With strong heating, it is advisable to periodically cool the canvas with a damp cloth, which guarantees its safety during the cutting of the pipe.

Using a pipe cutter and grinder

It is allowed to use a pipe cutter in cases where the shortened pipe can be slightly bent away from the wall. This will ensure that its pressure plates can be rotated 360 degrees (around the entire circumference).

After placing the working cutters at the place of processing, carefully clamp them with a special lamb, and then start rotating the tool by the handle on it. At the final stage of work, the pipe cut is processed with a file or rasp. Working with a grinder is quite simple and does not need a special description.

Trimming by gas welding

Cutting and welding of metal pipes should be carried out by specialists who have mastered the methods of working with gas welding equipment. Their feature is the use of cylinders with gas mixtures, which complicates all working procedures.

Important! Work is carried out only when the kitchen has a well-functioning and efficient ventilation system.

Taking into account all these factors, cutting pipes by gas welding is one of the methods that require high professional preparedness from the performer.

Recommendations from experienced craftsmen

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It is much more convenient to install and connect a gas stove to a cut pipe when an even and vertical cut is made during processing. When choosing a tool, preference is given to a pipe cutter.

According to the method of forming a cut, these products are telescopic, roller or clamp-type. Each of the models is selected based on the convenience of working in the kitchen. Very often the most suitable option is a mini pipe cutter.

Possible mistakes

When organizing work, errors are taken into account, which should be eliminated in the future. These include such violations of the requirements of existing standards, such as:

• Lack of coordination with local utilities.
• Neighbors were not warned about the shutdown of the gas riser.
• Wrong pipe cutting tool selected.
• Violated safety regulations regarding fire protection.

After shortening the pipe and connecting it to the gas stove, it is not necessary to immediately open the gas supply valve. From this point on, enhanced monitoring of the condition of the pipe system is necessary. To do this, you will need to do the following operations:

1. Organize its purge, carried out in order to remove excess air from the pipe lines.
2. Using soapy water, check the tightness of all existing connections (both threaded and welded).

   

3. Matches are not allowed to be used at all.

Upon completion of the verification operations, you can begin to operate the upgraded wiring (open the valve).

Pipe Cutting Safety Precautions

A typical set of requirements for the safe conduct of work is reduced to the following restrictions:

• It is not allowed to carry out work on your own without first coordinating them with neighbors and all interested authorities.
• When working with gas welding and a grinder in the kitchen, effective ventilation should be organized.
• You will need to protect the walls and flooring from hot waste.
• When cutting pipes mechanically (with a hacksaw), it is recommended to periodically cool the blade with cold water.

Compliance with these requirements guarantees the successful completion of work and the absence of problems with the operation of the gas pipeline.