Extending 12/2 Romex

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Another C10

Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
Location
Southern Cal
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Electrician NEC 2020
Then while he's at it he can check for leaks with a lit match too.
I talked to an old school plumber, probably 30 years ago that said as you mentioned they'd test for leaks with a match, when I challenged that method he calmly said no .. its true, stating the pressure wont allow the flame inside the pipe be sides he continued to say there is no oxygen in the gas line which makes it impossible for an explosion. I said ... OK....

I'd still think soapy water is a better choice. I don't mess with gas lines personally.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I talked to an old school plumber, probably 30 years ago that said as you mentioned they'd test for leaks with a match, when I challenged that method he calmly said no .. its true, stating the pressure wont allow the flame inside the pipe be sides he continued to say there is no oxygen in the gas line which makes it impossible for an explosion. I said ... OK....

I'd still think soapy water is a better choice. I don't mess with gas lines personally
I talked to an old school plumber, probably 30 years ago that said as you mentioned they'd test for leaks with a match, when I challenged that method he calmly said no .. its true, stating the pressure wont allow the flame inside the pipe be sides he continued to say there is no oxygen in the gas line which makes it impossible for an explosion. I said ... OK....

I'd still think soapy water is a better choice. I don't mess with gas lines personally.
True, but, I would think most explosions would occur when those who don't smell so well strike a match to find the leak only to ignite the oxygen rich gas that has escaped and accumulated on the outside of the pipe. :)

Jap>
 

tthh

Senior Member
Location
Denver
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Retired Engineer
My buddy lived in a condo that didn't have individual unit gas shutoffs. Buddy was having his stove replaced. Whoever was replacing the stove had his helper hold his finger over the open gas pipe end while they swapped out the old unit for a new one.
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
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EC
Years ago, I had a new gas service run to my house. Guys bored under the street to the gas main on the other side where they excavated down to it. Interested in how they were going to tap the high pressure main, I stood there and watched. My truck was in the driveway and in talking one guy asked if I was an electrician. I said yes. So, they put a saddle on the 4" steel main that has a threaded hub on top into which screws a valve and connection for the house service line. But before they can screw that on, they have to drill a hole in the main. One of the guys goes into their truck them comes back out and asks me if I have a nice sharp 5/16" drill bit. I go into my truck and get one. He chucks it into a pneumatic drill, jumps down into the hole and drills a hole in the live gas main. Then as the gas is shooting out, he grabs the valve assembly and screws it in.

Needless to say, nobody smokes on that crew.

-Hal
 

winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
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Electric motor research
My grandfather was a plumber, and described doing the same sort of tap to install a new water main, only to discover after the hole had been drilled that they hit a gas pipe.....


Jon
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
My grandfather was a plumber, and described doing the same sort of tap to install a new water main, only to discover after the hole had been drilled that they hit a gas pipe.....


Jon

And the lady of the house probably blamed the husband for that rotten egg smell when she pulled the handle on the toilet..... :)

JAP>
 

Rick 0920

Senior Member
Location
Jacksonville, FL
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Electrical Instructor
To each his own. I would put #12 on a 15 amp OCPD everyday without a second thought. To me this is no different than converting a 240 volt, 30 amp electric dryer circuit to a 120 volt, 20 amp for a gas dryer and putting the #10's on a 20 amp OCPD.
I have done that exact thing many times!
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Wouldn't a new 120v Receptacle outlet installed in a kitchen for a gas stove be required to be GFI protected?

Or not?

JAP>
 

roger

Moderator
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Location
Fl
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Retired Electrician
Wouldn't a new 120v Receptacle outlet installed in a kitchen for a gas stove be required to be GFI protected?

Or not?

JAP>
Since it wouldn't be serving a counter top it would depend on the distance from a sink but that is mostly for areas other than kitchens.

Roger
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I was just curious seeing as how if the existing 50 amp receptacle was installed prior to the new GFI rule for 240v receptacles, and, one was to use the new adapter that plugs into that outlet to reduce it to 120v for the new gas stove, the new outlet would not be GFI protected either.

The existing 50 amp receptacle would fall under the "existing conditions" rule since it was installed prior to the new rule.

If GFI protection was required for the new 120v outlet, the existing 2p 50a breaker feeding the existing 50 amp outlet would have to be changed out to a GFI if you were going to use the adapter since you've altered the circuit would it not?

JAP>
 

retirede

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
I was just curious seeing as how if the existing 50 amp receptacle was installed prior to the new GFI rule for 240v receptacles, and, one was to use the new adapter that plugs into that outlet to reduce it to 120v for the new gas stove, the new outlet would not be GFI protected either.

The existing 50 amp receptacle would fall under the "existing conditions" rule since it was installed prior to the new rule.

If GFI protection was required for the new 120v outlet, the existing 2p 50a breaker feeding the existing 50 amp outlet would have to be changed out to a GFI if you were going to use the adapter since you've altered the circuit would it not?

JAP>

IMO, plugging in an adapter does not “create a new outlet.”
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I believe it does.

This is not like plugging in a plug strip where you haven't changed what is feeding it.

If you plug a plug strip into a standard outlet the plug strip is still standard outlets.
A plug strip plugged into a gfi protected outlet is still a gfi protected plug strip.

If you physically change a 50 amp outlet to a 120v outlet you change the receptacle and the breaker feeding it.

The result of installing the "adapter" is just that.

The resulting outlet is nothing as it was before.

You've initiated a tap rule, changed the aspect of the outlet, and, put an overcurrent device in a place that's not readily accessible.

JAP>
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
If you physically change a 50 amp outlet to a 120v outlet you change the receptacle and the breaker feeding it.



JAP>
The 120 volts has always been there, you are just doing away with the L-L part of the circuit.

Roger
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
The 120 volts has always been there, you are just doing away with the L-L part of the circuit.

Roger

That's not all you do unless you leave it protected at 50 amps.

If you are called to do this , you would physically change the receptacle out, and, you also change out the breaker in the panel to a 15 or 20 amp OCPD to make it as it should be,or, you would use the adapter.

You are not actually creating a new outlet, but, you are altering an existing outled.

If the location of the receptacle required GFI protection at that time you would also have to install gfi protection in addition to changing out he receptacle or installing the adapter.

All things the average consumer wouldn't know, especially those who don't know that the adapter doesn't change electricity to gas.

Just sayin.

JAP>
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
If you physically change a 50 amp outlet to a 120v outlet you change the receptacle and the breaker feeding it.

The resulting outlet is nothing as it was before.
But it's still the same outlet; you've just replaced the device, and hopefully a suitable OCPD.

Suppose you had a 20a-plug-equipped single receptacle for a window A/C. If you replace the A/C with one that came with a 15a plug, and changed the receptacle and breaker, is it a new outlet?

Or, say you replaced a 240v A/C with a 120v A/C (or even 120v to 240v) and changed the receptacle and breaker to suit. Or to more closely match the electric-to-gas swap, 20a, 240v to 15a, 120v.

A new outlet is a new breaker, circuit, and receptacle in a new location, or at least one relocated. Altering the characteristics of an existing circuit does not equal a new outlet, in my humble opinion.
 

retirede

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
I believe it does.

This is not like plugging in a plug strip where you haven't changed what is feeding it.

If you plug a plug strip into a standard outlet the plug strip is still standard outlets.
A plug strip plugged into a gfi protected outlet is still a gfi protected plug strip.

If you physically change a 50 amp outlet to a 120v outlet you change the receptacle and the breaker feeding it.

The result of installing the "adapter" is just that.

The resulting outlet is nothing as it was before.

You've initiated a tap rule, changed the aspect of the outlet, and, put an overcurrent device in a place that's not readily accessible.

JAP>

By that logic, you’ve created a new outlet when you plug in a wall wart.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
By that logic, you’ve created a new outlet when you plug in a wall wart.

A wall wart is a load that plugs into a receptacle outlet and uses electricity. An adapter or plug strip is an extension of an outlet that provides a place forr a load to plug in to.

2 different things.

Jap>
 
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