How to Install a Gas Stove Line Connection

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DanMarc
July 20, 2020
Oven Repair

Having a gas range is a unique advantage for any home. Your gas stove can continue cooking during power outages and your cooking costs are separate from household electricity. There are millions of homes across the country that have gas connections for a gas range. In fact, many have electric stoves with a hidden gas connection, in case a future owner wanted to switch. You can even install gas if you want to add gas to a new or updated home.

Installing a gas range is not complicated, but it is something to do carefully. Gas leaks are dangerous, they create a risk of both air poisoning and explosion in the home if connections are not air-tight. This means good plumbing practices. You will need pipe-joint tape and be familiar with how it is used in a gas connection. We’ll explain each step along the way.  

Gather Your Supplies

Always start a repair by gathering your supplies. This ensures that you are ready to complete the process from beginning to end once you start. For this repair, you will need a few basic gas line tools.

  • Teflon pipe joint tape
  • Wrench
  • Flexible corrugated gas range connector
  • Gas leak detector
  • Bubble level

Purchasing a Gas Range Connector

It is important that you purchase a new gas line connector instead of using an old one from the previous stove. This ensures the quality and security of the gas connection. Make sure your connector is marked for “ranges” as this is the type that connects a gas line to a gas stove. Double-check the width and correct connector configuration for your stove as well.  

Shut Off the Gas

Before working with the gas line, make absolutely certain the gas is off. You can shut it off locally at the valve when the handle is perpendicular to the line. If you are uninstalling an old stove or preparing an old line for connection, be absolutely certain the line and the shut-off are closed. If you don’t yet have a shut-off installed, you can easily add one in-line with your installation.

Look at your gas line. If the handle is already at a right-angle to the line, then it is already closed. Don’t open it. If the handle is in-line, it is open. Close it and look for any nearby valves to also close. Often, there is a valve from the wall, and an emergency valve installed in-line. Close them both for absolute security. 

Remove Old Connector

With the valve shut, it is safe to remove the old connector, along with any stove it might be attached to. You can throw away that connector or recycle it, as all future connections will be with a new part. Consider grabbing your wrench and possibly a pair of work gloves for the task.

Unscrew both ends of your old connector. This may require the wrench or the use of two wrenches to release the threads. When both ends are free, remove the old connector and set it aside for the disposal method of your preference.

Complete this step by cleaning any old tape off of the shutoff valve or the home’s gas line connection. If the old Teflon tape doesn’t come off easily, a wire brush and a damp cloth may be necessary to scrub the tape off of the existing gas line connection. 

Place Gas Stove at Maintenance-Distance

Get your new gas stove and place it at maintenance-distance. In other words, the distance it will be when pulled out from the wall whenever you need to do maintenance behind it with the back panels. This is how long your gas line plus the connector length needs to stretch when installed. Otherwise, you’d need to disconnect the gas line every time the stove needs maintenance. 

Prepare Gas Connection with Pipe-Joint Tape

You can’t just screw the pieces together, they won’t seal tight enough to hold the gas in safely. For this, you need a special tape between the threads. This is known as pipe-joint tape. It’s made of teflon and the color yellow is the most common for this purpose. Wrap a layer of tape around the inner threads of the connection. Make sure they wrap firmly all the way around and pull the tape a little tight as you wrap.

Apply pipe-joint tape to both male ends, on the gas line and on the connector, as the connector has to secure two different gas connections. 

Install the New Gas Line Connection

Now attach the new gas range connector at both ends. Carefully fit the gas line connections together in the male and female ends. Twist the tips so that the connections thread together. Then use your wrench to tighten the connector ends until they are absolutely secure. In this case, tighten until you cannot tighten any more. Pay close attention to both ends of the connector to ensure that they are secure. 

Open the Gas Valve

Now you can open the gas valve and allow gas to flow into your stove. The stove should regulate it’s own gas access. Turn the emergency valve and the valve near the wall so that the handle aligns with the valve. 

Test for Gas Leaks

Make sure to test for a gas leak before walking away from the stove. Grab your gas leak detector and follow the directions to calibrate it once you turn it on. Then direct the detecting end of the tool toward your new gas connector ends. If it beeps, you’ll need to secure the connection. If your gas leak detector confirms that there is no leak, your installation has been a success. 

Position and Level Your Gas Stove

Finally, you’re ready to put your stove back into place. Plug the stove in and push it into position, where you want it when you cook. The final step for any appliance installation is to level the feet. Grab a bubble level and test both the top and bottom edges of the stove. make sure that the stove is standing level on the ground. If not, twist the feet to extend or retract them until the stove is level.

As your last step, flip on the burners to make sure your gas stove is working properly. 

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