# Megapress underground installation



## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Viega says that their megapress gas fittings are rated for underground installation "where state and local codes allow" and in accordance with NFC and UPC guidelines on corrosion protection. 

Are they allowed in your area? Has anyone used them underground, and if so, what do you use for corrosion protection?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> Are they allowed in your area? Has anyone used them underground, and if so, what do you use for corrosion protection?



First off, we don't bury black iron or galv anymore. But if we did use mega press my only concern would be the pipe itself because the megapress fittings are high grade stainless.

In the past we would wrap steel or copper pipe with a special tape, but now it comes precoated so we don't. We still have some rolls of the stuff.

*Why are you burying steel pipe?*


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

skoronesa said:


> Why are you burying steel pipe?


Easy tiger, I'm not. It's a mainly hypothetical question that grew out of a conversation with my master yesterday. 



skoronesa said:


> First off, we don't bury black iron or galv anymore.


Some of the gas companies around here do. Shoot, one of them still runs their mains in 3in PVC.

If I was going to use a megapress on steel pipe underground, it would be as a hail mary repair. I always encourage our customers to replace the yard lines with poly, but there's always one that balks at the price of a new line and is adamant that we fix the leak so they can get their gas back on. 🙃


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> .............If I was going to use a megapress on steel pipe underground, it would be as a hail mary repair. .......



You'd have to be high to think a mega press fitting would seal on rough steel pipe that's been buried so long it failed.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

hewhodigsholes said:


> Easy tiger, I'm not. It's a mainly hypothetical question that grew out of a conversation with my master yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


when I buried galvenized gas line I had to tar the threaded joints for corrosion, but with poly pipe now, no galvenized goes in the ground anymore...
propress would be a poor choice for the repair you want todo,I doubt an o-ring will seal against pitted steel pipe.. dig back to a threaded joint from the leak and replace it thread to thread and use a union, that alone is against code by me to have a union in a run of gas pipe...but if its a temp repair to get gas back on....just use some common sense and remember you will be liable for anything that happens...


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> propress would be a poor choice for the repair you want todo,I doubt an o-ring will seal against pitted steel pipe.


I agree. I have no desire to attempt a half-a** repair, especially on a gas line. My original question grew out of a conversation with my master after a customer had his gas meter run over and the riser elbow snapped on the horizontal threads. The HO asked several times if it could be repaired instead of replaced. We priced it appropriately and he decided to just replace it.

I was really more curious to see if anyone's local codes allowed it, though I seriously doubt it unless they're still on old school UPC.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

hewhodigsholes said:


> I agree. I have no desire to attempt a half-a** repair, especially on a gas line. My original question grew out of a conversation with my master after a customer had his gas meter run over and the riser elbow snapped on the horizontal threads. The HO asked several times if it could be repaired instead of replaced. We priced it appropriately and he decided to just replace it.
> 
> I was really more curious to see if anyone's local codes allowed it, though I seriously doubt it unless they're still on old school UPC.


I would say no to local codes allowing propress under ground even on new pipe.and especially no for repairs....but the liability alone would make it a nogo for me..I would tell them replace or find some hack to fix, but you replaced which was the best way togo..


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> I agree. I have no desire to attempt a half-a** repair, especially on a gas line. My original question grew out of a conversation with my master after a customer had his gas meter run over and the riser elbow snapped on the horizontal threads. The HO asked several times if it could be repaired instead of replaced. We priced it appropriately and he decided to just replace it.
> 
> I was really more curious to see if anyone's local codes allowed it, though I seriously doubt it unless they're still on old school UPC.


Pretty sure for steel pipe you can only thread it for underground use. I know copper is limited to flared, brazed(not soldered), and compression fittings such as corporation or macdonald fittings, not compression with brass ferrules. At least that's what our local inspectors accept.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

Even a temp repair can be done using poly pipe. As mentioned, go back to the nearest threaded joint and screw in a transition fitting and proceed from there. We've even used CSST for temp gas on job sites. Not something we would want to have an inspector question us over, but for temp on a job with precautions, get er done.


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