In an incident that happened in Dallas in 2011, news reports three people injured from an explosion that happened in their home. Originally, lightning strike was thought to be the cause of the explosion but investigation showed otherwise. Inspections of the gas pipes lead to the conclusion that the cause was due to a gas leak. Eventually it was discovered that the natural gas line used iron – a material that was supposed to be phased out since the early 1970s. This incident has alarmed many natural gas users to install new piping for their homes.
Your Natural Gas Plumbing Should Be Checked
Although most modern homes are equipped with new piping materials with approved specs like steel pipes, copper pipes, yellow brass pipes, PVC and PE pipes, there are still a lot of old houses that need new piping installation. A minor gas leak can fill a small house with Carbon Monoxide in minutes but the moment you realize it, you may already be suffering from unusual symptoms like lightheadedness, loss of body coordination and a feeling sick but without the fever. This is why new piping installations should be performed by professional plumbers because they could readily detect a degrading material in the piping. Also, new piping needs to be inspected by a professional to assess for more dangers. Their training includes knowledge of allowable lengths of the pipes when a 90 degree connector is used in the fitting. Lay people may not know this but, a bend in the pipeline may cause accumulation of carbon monoxide in the piping. When it is triggered by something hot, it may explode upright. So regardless of a new piping, you may still be a risk.
Gas lines and gas dryers
New piping gas lines serve as safety passage ways of natural gas into household. It is an important energy source that is commonly used in heaters, stoves and oven as well as gas dryers. Gas dryers are more economical than electric dryers although it may slightly cost an extra upon purchase. However, it has higher efficiency in drying clothes. It only takes 60 minutes or 1 hour to do so. The cost of usage is also much cheaper than the electric counterpart making only half the cost of its counterpart during operation. So in exchange for these wonderful benefits, you only need to make sure you have the new piping system installed. Gas dryers also have safety features that allow it auto shut off in cases where the heating element malfunctions.
New piping installation of gas dryers
Gas dryers are best installed by professional plumbers. Although a lot of internet articles say it’s a DIY task, a plumber’s experience is a just price to pay in exchange for safety. A licensed plumber can identify the correct fitting for your new piping installation. Loose fittings can cause gas leaks in your home; thereby, endangering all its residents. Also, gas dryers need approved hook ups that go with the new piping system. The material should be made of yellow brass or flexible stainless steel tubing to avoid corrosion. Plumbers could also inspect other heating elements in your home to safeguard your property from unnecessary losses.
Gas Dryer Operation
After learning to install the gas dryer to the new piping system, it is time to understand the appliance. There are the 3 main factors that affect its operation: air flow, heat and drum rotation. Air flow is fed through system with use of blower wheel. It may be located in front of the appliance or at the rear. The air is then heated with the use of a burner and is passed through the rotating wheel. The hotter the air, the faster is the drying process. It takes about 60 minutes to dry a normal loading of clothes to dry. The hot air then travels into an exhaust valve and is dissipated in the environment.
To take care of your dryer, install it in a well ventilated room and not on congested and poorly ventilated areas. To ensure air flow into the blower you should consider a 6 in distance from the wall. Without sufficient air, the heat caused by the burner would not be transferred to the rotating wheel and cause the thermostat valve to shut down the operation. Also, follow prescribed exhaust pipe lengths. The rigid type is efficient up 40 ft in length and lessened by 8 ft accordingly when a 90 degree bend is used. On the other hand, a semi rigid is efficient up to 20 ft and is lessened by 8 ft for every 90 degree bend conjunction used.
Gas dryers are very practical house appliances that could save you a lot of money. Investing it on new piping will ensure that you protect your appliance as well as your home from terrible accidents that may cost one’s life. So if you are thinking about gas dryers for your laundry, you definitely need to mind getting new piping to get an overall benefit.
