# Two failed water heater inspections drip leg



## panther (Oct 27, 2010)

The way I have installed drip legs on water heaters is short nipple out of control valve. Tee. 6" drip leg and cap. Gas flex into top of the tee. Gas valve before flex. Was told today on both heaters. Drip leg needs to be before gas shut off valve. Flex after drip leg. Is this new, or have I been doing it wrong for twenty years? One inspection was in county, the other in city. Two separate jurisdictions.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Makes no sense to me the way they want it. From the tee up it should be union or flex than valve. What is the point of having the valve between the drip leg and the gas control?


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## Fatpat (Nov 1, 2015)

Los Angeles County has adopted this **** too.
A drip leg techingly in a sediment trap, 3? nipple, tee and a cap. Now it must be before the valve!
Pain in the ass


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## panther (Oct 27, 2010)

Fatpat said:


> Los Angeles County has adopted this **** too.
> A drip leg techingly in a sediment trap, 3? nipple, tee and a cap. Now it must be before the valve!
> Pain in the ass


I'm tripping. Wasn't the point of having drip leg after shut off valve so the drip leg could be serviced with shutting the entire house down? I mean, I'm gonna do what I have to to pass inspection. I'm just trying to figure out the logic to the new way. Seems like the way I've been doing it works perfect.


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## panther (Oct 27, 2010)

OpenSights said:


> Makes no sense to me the way they want it. From the tee up it should be union or flex than valve. What is the point of having the valve between the drip leg and the gas control?


You're absolutely correct. It make no sense. I asked several times today with no answer other than, "that's the way we want it now". Mmm, ok.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

panther said:


> You're absolutely correct. It make no sense. I asked several times today with no answer other than, "that's the way we want it now". Mmm, ok.


My Master would ask the inspector to pull out his book and prove it. As I’ve said many times, he’s an *******, but he’s a damn good friend and mentor!


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Shut off valve should be in line upstream of everything else in order to service the other components as you stated Panther. But hey, you're in California right?

This particular set up was in Gainesville, FL. They wanted a tee after the regulator. That is where I had to put a manometer to get my inspection.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Believe it or not, but the city would not accept anything but a U tube manometer. They won't pass a gas line rough-in inspection with a digital manometer.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

that is a total joke but if it makes the inspectors feel like they are big shots..in their little neck of the world, then its best to play along with them and let them feel like big shots......

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aw0k-LzH7nSaEZF85lTAgaBR&ust=1511317808110109


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

panther said:


> The way I have installed drip legs on water heaters is short nipple out of control valve. Tee. 6" drip leg and cap. Gas flex into top of the tee. Gas valve before flex. Was told today on both heaters. Drip leg needs to be before gas shut off valve. Flex after drip leg. Is this new, or have I been doing it wrong for twenty years? One inspection was in county, the other in city. Two separate jurisdictions.


Exactly the same order as we do it here. That is pretty much the only way I have seen it done. We do though also go shut off valve, tee with drip leg and then flex appliance connector between the tee and the control valve if we can't make the old hard piped gas line line up with the new heater using just some nipples. We don't thread pipe it just takes too long and is too messy. We can and I have threaded pipe before but as a general standard we just don't do that any more.

Sent from my R1 HD using Tapatalk


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Count me in as one that has done it the same way as you for 15 years. Guess could charge more and throw in another valve before that drip leg, but then they'd want a drip leg before that valve ... lol, a whole system of valves and drip legs, no need to bust out the threader.


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

panther said:


> I'm tripping. Wasn't the point of having drip leg after shut off valve so the drip leg could be serviced with shutting the entire house down? I mean, I'm gonna do what I have to to pass inspection. I'm just trying to figure out the logic to the new way. Seems like the way I've been doing it works perfect.


Was this in Mecklenburg? Just last week John Freeman was telling me he wanted the valve before the drip leg for the reasons you mentioned. It’s seems like their not all on the same page over there?

Also, he wants the drip leg before the regulator.


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## panther (Oct 27, 2010)

89plumbum said:


> Was this in Mecklenburg? Just last week John Freeman was telling me he wanted the valve before the drip leg for the reasons you mentioned. It’s seems like their not all on the same page over there?
> 
> Also, he wants the drip leg before the regulator.


Sacramento, California.


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

My bad man, I was thinking of Pathmaker who lives near me.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Hmm illustration right out of the IFGC 2012 edition.

DRIP. _The container placed at a low point in a system of piping
to collect condensate and from which the condensate is
removable.
_
These reservoirs, also referred to as “drip legs,” are
made up of pipe and fittings and are intended to collect
liquid in piping systems where condensables are
possible. A “drip leg” is distinct from a “sediment trap”
even though they may be constructed identically.

408.4 Sediment trap. Where a sediment trap is not incorporated
as part of the appliance, a sediment trap shall beinstalled downstream of the appliance shutoff valve as close to the inlet of the appliance as practical. The sediment trap shall be either a tee fitting having a capped nipple of any length installed vertically in the bottommost opening of the
tee as illustrated in Figure 408.4 or other device approved as an effective sediment trap. Illuminating appliances, ranges, clothes dryers, decorative vented appliances for installation in vented fireplaces, gas fireplaces, and outdoor grills need not be so equipped.

 In addition to the code requirement, most appliance manufacturers require the installation of a sediment trap (dirt leg) to protect the appliance from debris in the gas. Note that a drip leg is not the same as a sediment trap (see Section 408.2). Sediment traps are necessary to protect appliance gas controls from the dirt, soil, pipe chips, pipe joint tapes and compounds and construction site debris that enter the piping during storage, handling, installation and repairs. Hazardous
appliance operation could result from foreign matter entering gas controls and burners. Despite the fact that utilities supply clean gas, foreign matter can enter the piping prior to and during installation both
on the utility side of the system and on the customer
side.

Sediment traps are designed to cause the gas flow to change direction 90 degrees (1.57 rad) at the sediment collection point, thus causing the solid or liquid contaminants to drop out of the gas flow [see Commentary
Figure 408.4(1)]. The nipple and cap should not be placed in the branch opening of a tee fitting because this would not create a change in direction of flow and would allow debris to simply pass/jump over the capped nipple collection point. Commentary Figure 408.4(2) illustrates a relatively ineffective sediment trap, however, such configurations are not
expressly prohibited by the wording of this section. The text speaks of the bottommost opening of the tee without prohibiting such opening from being the branch opening. Note that Code Figure 408.4 illustrates
the intent to have the nipple and cap in the run of the tee, thereby suggesting that it is not the intent to have it in the branch of the tee. The code does not specify a minimum length for the capped nipple,
therefore, it could be from a close nipple on up. Three to 6 inches is the customary length. The capped nipple must be in a vertical plane to allow the sediments to fall in by gravity. The sediment trap must be as close to the appliance inlet as practical to be able to capture sediment from all of the piping upstream of the appliance connection. The sediment trap must be downstream of the appliance shutoff valve to allow the trap to be serviced after closing the upstream shutoff valve. Manufactured sediment traps are available that have the configuration of a straight section of pipe and are equipped with cleanout openings. Although it would be wise to install sediment traps at all appliance connections, they are not mandated by code for gas lights, ranges, clothes dryers and outdoor grills. These appliances are also susceptible to harm from debris in gas, especially ranges and clothes dryers, and the appliance manufacturer may require sediment traps where the code does not. The
code’s logic is that these exempt appliances are manually operated rather than automatically operated; therefore, the user would be in attendance and aware of a problem.


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