How to Replace a Gas Pipe Elbow Joint

Copper Piping

• 1

  Turn off the gas. Locate the main shut-off for the gas line. This is often a ball valve on older piping. Turn the valve a quarter-turn to the left with an adjustable wrench if no other indicator of an "off" position is labeled. If you cannot locate the shut-off valve for the gas, stop the project immediately and contact your local gas company. Have a professional technician come out and safely turn the gas off.

• 2

  Remove the line cap. This will appear as a sudden end to the piping, covered with a flat cap. Use an adjustable wrench to turn the cap to the right slowly until it releases. You will hear the gas release and then fade. Do not directly inhale the releasing gas.

• 3

  Loosen the vertical pipe above the elbow joint. In old copper piping, a connecting nut will most likely not be present above the joint. Loosen and remove the vertical pipe above the elbow by grasping the pipe with an adjustable wrench and the connection above the pipe with a fitted wrench. Turn the pipe to the left, loosening it from the elbow and the fitting above. When loose, turn by hand until it comes out at the top. Carefully remove the pipe from the elbow.

• 4

  Remove the old elbow joint. Grasp the lateral or horizontal pipe coming from the elbow with a fitted wrench. Grasp the elbow joint with an adjustable wrench and turn it to the left to loosen. Use steady pressure. The joint may have old joint compound in the threads, which must be broken. Once loose, turn the elbow joint to remove.

• 5

  Attach the new elbow joint to the lateral or horizontal pipe. Be sure the pipe is not bent or damaged. Apply thread compound to the threads on the old pipe. Cover completely without leaving spaces on the thread. Align the new elbow and screw on. Tighten until the joint is in the proper position and will not turn another full turn.

• 6

  Replace the vertical pipe. Apply thread compound to both ends of the pipe, covering the threads completely. Push into the upper connector first then down into the elbow. Tighten with an adjustable wrench until tight, but not stressed.

• 7

  Allow the thread compound time to dry before turning the gas back on. Read the manufacturer's recommendations for drying time.

Flexible Piping

• 8

  Locate the flare connector closest to the elbow. There will be two nuts visible from the exterior. The furthest from the elbow is the flare connector. It will have piping coming directly out from the opposite side. Place a fixed wrench on the flare connector and an adjustable wrench on the flare fitting nut, or the nut directly inserted in the flare connector. Turn the flare connector to the left until it comes loose. You will hear gas escape and then stop. If it does not stop, immediately reconnect the flare and contact your gas company.

• 9

  Remove the elbow from it's port or other connection. Grasp with an adjustable wrench and turn to the left until the elbow comes out of the port. The connector nut and a threaded nipple will still be inserted in the elbow. Remove them with an adjustable wrench by turning each to the left separately.

• 10

  Insert the new elbow joint into the port or other connection. Tighten until facing the proper direction and unable to turn another full turn.

• 11

  Insert the tread nipple into the elbow joint and tighten in place with an adjustable wrench. Tighten, but do not stress. Place the connector nut over the thread nipple and tighten in place.

• 12

  Attach the connector nut to the flare connector and tighten by holding the nut with a fixed wrench and the flare with an adjustable wrench, and turning to the right.