Should an uncoated brass gas connector be replaced?

The fittings on each end were soldered onto a thin corrugated brass tube, and the CPSC found that the solder joint can weaken and pull apart. The connectors also wear from bending, moving the appliance, and corrosion. The CPSC says they have not been made for more than 30 years, so any still in service is old by definition. Nicor Gas says appliances more than 20 years old are the ones most likely to still have one.

Look without moving anything. A bare brass connector is a gold or brass colored ribbed tube with no covering. Nicor lists three acceptable types: plastic-coated brass, uncoated stainless steel, and plastic-coated stainless steel, with the coating usually gray or yellow. A silver ribbed tube is likely stainless, and a coated tube has a smooth plastic skin. If you can't see the connector without sliding the appliance out, leave it where it is.

Because moving it is what breaks an old connector. The CPSC says not to move the appliance to look, since the movement itself can crack or separate a weakened brass connector. Have a plumber pull the appliance, shut the gas at its valve, and swap the connector in one visit. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house and call 911 and Southwest Gas from outside. Our page on what to do if you smell gas near a water heater lists the steps.

A new connector listed to the national standard, sized for the appliance. The fuel gas code Phoenix uses says a connector must be listed (ANSI Z21.24), no longer than 6 feet, one per appliance, and sized for the appliance's demand. It can't run through a wall, floor, or the appliance's housing, and there has to be a shutoff valve ahead of it. A range that rolls out for cleaning uses a connector made for movable appliances (ANSI Z21.69). Never reuse a connector, even a coated one. The CPSC says to put in a new one any time the appliance is replaced or moved, and Nicor says the same.

Nicor also recommends that a water heater and furnace be connected with solid pipe rather than a flexible connector where possible. Our page on CSST and black iron gas pipe covers the pipe side of that choice.

No. A connector stays with the gas valve, and the CPSC says to put in a new one any time an appliance is moved or replaced, so the next home gets a new connector too. A home built in the last few decades should not have uncoated brass, since the CPSC says those have not been made for more than 30 years, but an old appliance carried into a new house can bring one along.

Usually not on its own. Phoenix's gas clearance table makes alterations to existing gas piping permit work, "other than the installation of an appliance connector," and it lists a replacement in kind with no piping changes as needing no permit. If the valve is missing, in the wrong place, or the pipe behind the appliance has to change, that is gas piping work, and it needs a city permit, an inspection, and a clearance. The same split applies to a gas dryer hookup.

Southwest Gas says licensed plumbers install and repair natural gas equipment. A plumber checks the valve, fits the right connector, and tests for leaks before the appliance goes back. If the house is older, it is worth having the rest of the gas system looked at too; see how often gas lines should be inspected. HQ Plumbing & Air replaces old connectors and finds leaks by capping each fixture and testing the system from the meter. Learn more about our gas leak inspections and gas line repair across the Phoenix area.