East Bay Gas Lines - Get to Know Your Gas Grill

Th Anatomy of a Gas Grill

Your steaks won't be sizzling this summer if your gas grill's on the fritz. Use this guide to identify parts and problems and keep it firing up just like new.

illustration: Harry Campbell


Burner Tubes

If flames burn unevenly or burner doesn't light, clean portholes with wire brush.

illustration: Harry Campbell

Flame

Look for dark blue center that transitions to light blue with occasional yellow tip. If pattern is off or flames are all yellow, turn off burners and clean portholes with wire brush. If abnormal color persists, remove tubes and ream out with stiff wire.

illustration: Harry Campbell

Burner Control Knob

Always wait until tank valve is open before turning on, or regulator may go into mode that restricts gas flow for safety.

illustration: Harry Campbell

Grill Hose

If burner doesn't light or flame is low, look for kink or check for leak at connection points. If leak is in hose, replace it.

illustration: Harry Campbell

Propane Tank

If you smell gas or tank runs out after only a few uses, apply soapy water to valve base and tank seams. If solution bubbles, there's a leak; stand back and call fire department. Check for leaks every time you change tank

illustration: Harry Campbell

Regulator

Controls gas flow from tank. If flames flicker and grill doesn't get hot, regulator may be in low-flow safety mode. Close tank valve, turn off knobs, detach regulator, and turn knobs to high. Wait 1 minute, shut off knobs, and reconnect regulator. Slowly open valve.

illustration: Harry Campbell

by ALEX QUEVEDOTHIS OLD HOUSE MAGAZINE
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20292393,00.html

East Bay Gas Lines - Water Heater Safety is often taken for Granted

Water heaters are often taken for granted. They sit in our garage or utility closet and perform their assigned duty day in and day out. If installed correctly they will operate with little fuss for many years. Most of us rarely give the water heater a second thought, but they have a life cycle just like every other component or appliance in your house.

At the very minimum you should take a careful look at your water heater at least once a year. One of the most common points of failure is at the top of your water heater where it connects to the house plumbing. If the water heater was not installed with proper dielectric connectors, you will get corrosion where the copper plumbing meets the steel tank. Corrosion at water heater this area is often difficult to see. A tank can be five feet tall and when properly installed on an 18 inch platform, the top of the tank is 6-1/2 feet off the ground. This area can easily be over looked.

If you see heavy rust in this area, your tank is ready to leak. remember that your plumbing system is under pressure 24 hours a day. It doesn’t take much corrosion to eat through the plumbing. Even a small leak can flood your house. Even if your water heater is in your garage, a leak can find its way to the interior of your house. Water often sprays out of a small breach in the plumbing with such force that it quickly destroys the drywall, and gets inside the walls, and into your house. Just a small amount of water can destroy wood flooring, baseboards, carpeting, furniture, or personal items that are sitting on the floor.

Rusty water heater piping can cause leaks

In addition to looking for corrosion, look for evidence of soot at the exterior of the tank. This can be found around the burner compartment cover at the bottom of your water heater. If you are comfortable doing so, open the cover and look inside the compartment. Be careful of hot parts. If the water heater is on the inner cover will be hot. Once you remove the inner cover look for scale and rust inside the burner compartment. Old, damaged parts in the burner compartment can cause the water heater to remain on and over heat. This is a major cause of house fires.

Proper venting is critical to the safe operation of a water heater. Check the flue. It should be properly aligned with the top of the tank. And the sections of the flue should be well seated. Do not use duct tape on the flue. It can catch fire. An improperly installed flue can allow Carbon Monoxide to leak into your living space.

A general rule of thumb is to proactively replace your water heater when it has reached the end of its warranty period. That usually means that if your water heater is more than 7 years old, it should be replaced before you have problems with it. The price of a water heater is usually less than your insurance deductible. When in doubt, have your water heater inspected by a licensed plumber. It does not cost much and could save your family from injury, and you home from damage.

source: http://sdinspections.com/tag/water-heater-safety

http://www.eastbaygaslines.com

East Bay Gas Lines - Upgrade and Save Energy with Fireplace Inserts

Upgrade and Save Energy with Fireplace Inserts

Adding an insert is a smart investment that's pure win-win—it'll keep you warm and slash your heating bills all at once

According to the National Association of Home Builders, fireplaces rank among the top three features desired by new homebuyers. Unfortunately, fireplaces are also major air gaps—they can send up to 8 percent of valuable furnace-heated air flying out the chimney, making them really fun to look at but inefficient as heating sources. Here's the good news: You can transform your firebox into an efficient room heater by adding an insert.

An insert, installed by a factory-trained professional (to ensure proper venting and best efficiency results), will draft-proof an open fireplace while the unit's shell keeps heat in the room and away from the masonry. The cost can can set you back about $2,000 to $4,000 (pro install included), depending on the state of your existing chimney (does it need relining?) and the model you select. But this investment pays for itself by slashing those monthly heating bills. 

 

Upgrade and Save Energy with Fireplace Inserts

Adding an insert is a smart investment that's pure win-win—it'll keep you warm and slash your heating bills all at once

Pacific Energy Super Insert

 

This redesign of the popular wood-burning "Pacific" model now has a more refined look and can fit into smaller fireplace openings. The unit features an airwash system to keep its heat-conducting ceramic glass clear and one-touch adjustable temperature control. Variable speed blower included, to easily heat up to 2,000 square feet. Available in one- or two-door styles with gold, nickel, or metallic trim.

 

Lennox Ravenna Elite Series Gas Insert

 

This unit is will fit most factory-built and masonry fireplaces and features a realistic dancing flame over a log set cast from real wood. Blower delivers heating for up to 2,000 square feet via optional wireless remote thermostat control. Available in a variety of face options and inset designs. 

 

Enviro EF3Bi Pellet Insert

 

This model delivers the most heat in the Enviro pellet insert line of product, quickly heating up to 1,800 square feet. It features an ignitor, easy-clean ports, and a three-piece glass bay door for optimal flame-watching. Feed the hopper with renewable recycled wood wastes, dried corn, or another readily available economical source for your area.

 

QuadraFire Mt. Vernon Pellet Insert

 

This extra-large unit comes standard with comfort-quiet blowers to heat up to 3,800 square feet. Like other pellet models, it runs on biofuels, including wood pellets, corn, sunflower seeds, and wheat. Other features include a firepot auto-clean system, programmable thermostat wall control, and auto lighting and operation programs for different fuels.

 

source - This Old House online
by Tabitha Sukhai

 

http://www.eastbaygaslines.com

East Bay Gas Lines Danville - Water Heater Safety 101

Water Heater Safety 101

Your water heater may look benigh, but if improperly handled, it could erupt



photo by Eddie Berman

Your gas water heater might look benign, but if it's improperly installed or maintained it's a potential ballistic missile that could erupt with enough force to lift your house off its foundation. Every year a few water heaters explode with devastating results. To make sure yours is safe, follow these simple steps:

Remove paper, accumulated dust or other combustibles from the heater enclosure.

Extinguish the pilot light before using flammable liquids or setting off aerosol bug bombs near the unit. Never store combustibles close by.

If the device is in the garage, raise it so the pilot light is 18 in. above the floor. This can help prevent ignition of gasoline vapors that collect near the floor.

Inspect the flue for breaks or gaps that could leak deadly exhaust gas. (This is a good practice to do on other gas appliances.)

Ask your service technician to check the temperature pressure-relief valve, a faucet-like device mounted on the top or side of the heater. Excessively high temperature or pressure causes this valve to open, relieving pressure and preventing a steam explosion.

Consider installing an automatic gas-shutoff valve (below) that stops the flow of gas if the ground moves or if gas flow increases dramatically. The valve, which costs around $300, prevents fires when a gas line breaks due to flood, earthquake or other disaster. Some utility companies will install one and let you pay it off monthly.

source: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,214930,00.html

by Leland Stone

 

http://www.eastbaygaslines.com

 

East Bay Gas Lines Danville - Making gas connections to steel gas pipe

 

Make connections to steel gas pipe

Older houses often have threaded steel gas pipe. If your old appliance is connected with a steel pipe and you're installing a new appliance, buy a gas appliance connecting kit and replace the steel pipe with the flexible stainless steel tube. But remember, you can't connect the flare fitting on the flexible gas line directly to a steel pipe thread. You have to install the flare fitting that's included with the kit.

Also replace old-style gas valves (photo below) with modern ball valves that are labeled for use with gas. Before you replace an old valve, you'll have to find and turn off the main gas valve to the house. It's usually located near where the gas line enters the house. When you turn the gas back on, remember to check all your gas appliances to see if they have pilot lights that need relighting.

The photo shows how to use common plumbing parts to join a new ball valve and a flexible stainless steel connector to steel pipe. Coat all threaded pipe connections with pipe thread compound before assembly. The valve shown has 1/2-in. female pipe threads on both sides. If necessary, use a bushing to reduce the existing 3/4-in. female pipe thread to 1/2 in. Use a 90-degree elbow at the stove to avoid kinking the gas tubing when you push the stove against the wall.

 

Steel pipe gas connections

Proper Connections to Steel Pipe

Use the fittings shown for safe connections.

 

Old style gas valve

Old-style gas valves can leak. Replace them with approved ball valves.

source: http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Plumbing/Plumbing-Skills/how-to-connect-gas-pipe-lines/View-All#step1

 

http://www.eastbaygaslines.com

 

East Bay Gas Lines - Most Expensive Grilling Products Ever

Most Expensive Grilling Products Ever

Whether it's a stainless steel free-stander the size of a Ford F-150, or a complete outdoor kitchen with the beer bar built right in, some men measure each other's mettle simply by the quality of their backyard equipment

Keith PandolfiThis Old House online

 

Worth the Money

 

Men—like boys—love to show off their toys. From their perfectly polished Porsches to their plasma-screen televisions, nothing pleases guys more than keeping up with the Joneses—except outdoing and humiliating them as well. This is especially true when it comes to their grills. Whether it's a stainless steel free-stander the size of a Ford F-150, or a complete outdoor kitchen with the beer bar built right in, some men measure each other's mettle simply by the quality of their backyard equipment. With that in mind, we thought we'd show you the best lip-smackin', bank-breakin' barbecue products in the world.

 

Lynx Power Burner

 

 

About $1,775

Sometimes burgers and dogs just aren't enough to satiate your friends and neighbors. So how about cooking up a pot of chili, or some red beans and rice as a side dish? Or, heck, deep fry an entire turkey for that matter. This bad boy 46,000 BTU burner is big enough to accommodate a fat stock pot. Or, if you'd like to add some international flavor to your backyard, you can remove the center grate and slap down a commercial-grade wok. 

 

Backwoods Competitor

 

 

About $2,900

Sure it was designed for professional barbecue contests, but the Backwoods Competitor is also perfect for the man who likes to entertain the masses. This stout and smoke-stacked machine, which looks fittingly like a safe where one would store precious valuables, can cook a half dozen one pound turkeys, or 32 slabs of baby back ribs all at once. And what's more valuable than that?

 

Artisan Outdoor Pizza Oven

 

 

 

About $6,500

Say goodbye to Papa John's once and for all. This stainless steel pizza oven will fire up a thin-crust pizza in just five minutes right in your own back yard, and the heat can be adjusted to cook the pie of your choosing—from Chicago deep dish to Neapolitan. With all that money you save on ordering pizza, this $6.5K machine will pay for itself in—well—never, really. But your neighbors will think you're cool.

 

Kalamazoo 900 Series Hybrid Grill

 

 

 

About $15,900

Don't be surprised if you end up parking this stainless steel beauty in the driveway and Turtle-Waxing her like a 1936 Bugatti. The Kalamazoo 900 has 144,000 BTUs of cooking power—that's more power than most home furnaces, by the way. It's also got 864-square-inches of grilling area, and (best of all) cooks with charcoal, gas, and even wood.

 

 

 BBQ Concession Shed with Log Cabin Kitchen

 

Starting at about $24,650

Wanna make barbecuing into more of a profession than a pastime? This concession trailer from Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q could serve as your own small business—or at least a terrific tailgating tool. It comes with an 8-by-8-foot kitchen equipped with a fridge, sinks, and storage, as well as central AC, and some heavy-metal-worthy stereo speakers.

 

 

source; Keith PandolfiThis Old House online

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20369275_20784793,00.html

 

http://www.eastbaygaslines.com

 

 

 

East Bay Gas Lines Danville - All About Gas Fireplaces

 

 

There's only one thing better than a roaring fire on a wintry night: a roaring fire that needs no tending, requires minimal cleanup, and doesn't leave the rest of the house freezing cold. That's what you get with today's gas fireplaces. Long gone are the anemic blue flames and unconvincing "logs." Modern versions burn much more realistically, with glowing red embers and tall orange-yellow flames that dance and flicker around ceramic-fiber logs molded from the real thing.

Gas fireplaces come in three types: inserts, for folks who want to retrofit a wood-burning firebox with something more convenient and efficient; built-ins, for those who want a fireplace where there isn't one now; and log sets, basic burners that sit in existing, open fireplaces. Both inserts and built-in fireplaces are reliable heat producers, filling your room with a mix of warm air and radiant heat. Log sets are usually more for looks than warmth. With each type, you have a choice between models that vent the flames' fumes outside or vent-free versions that discharge all their heat, and exhaust, into the house. 

How much do they cost?
Expect to pay $2,000 to $5,000 (including installation) for a heat-producing insert or built-in fireplace. Decorative log sets run about $400 to $1,000.

Natural gas or propane?
Gas fireplaces can burn either type. Natural gas is less expensive and produces about 5 percent more heat. Choose propane where natural gas isn't available.

DIY or hire a pro?
For the safest, most efficient, and best-looking installation, leave the work to a local National Fireplace Institute-certified technician.

How much care?
For about $150, have your certified technician come once a year to clean and adjust the burner, ensuring that you have realistic, soot-free flames.

How many Btus?
A gas fireplace's heat output, in Btus, should match your room size, climate, and your house's insulation level.

Why Choose Gas?

 

Wood-burning fireplaces provide great ambience, but they can't beat the easy, no-fuss efficiency of gas.

• You don't have to split, stack, season, or haul logs.
• There are no ashes to bag, no smoky smells, no chimney to clean.
• You can start, adjust, and snuff out fires with the touch of a remote control.
• The fire needs no tending and won't die out from neglect.
• A wall thermostat can control the flame size—and therefore heat output—to maintain a specific temperature setting in the room.
• The fixed glass panels covering direct-vent fireboxes ensure that the furnace- or boiler-heated air in the rest of the house doesn't escape up the flue, as it does with a wood fire.
• You can get as much as 75 to 99 percent of a fuel's energy back as heat, instead of the 10 to 30 percent for wood fires.
• Gas fireplaces can go almost anywhere—in an upstairs bathroom, in a basement, or outdoors—without needing a chimney.

What to look for-

These upgrades enhance a fireplace's convenience, comfort, and good looks.

1. Variable-flame height adjustment. Allows you to dial in just the amount of heat you need, from a whisper of a flame to a roaring fire. (The best units adjust down to 30 percent of full output).

2. Wall-thermostat control. Automatically adjusts the fireplace's heat output to the temperature that you set manually or with a handheld remote.

3. Electronic ignition. Eliminates the need for a pilot light, saving up to $10 a month in fuel.

4. LED accent lighting. Adds a realistic flickering effect inside the firebox.

5. Battery backup. Ensures the fireplace will light during a power outage.

6. Built-in fan. Pulls indoor air into the space behind the firebox and pumps hot air out, heating a room in a hurry.

How Much Fire Power Do You Need?

 

Gas fireplaces have a wide range of heat output, from about 7,000 to 60,000 Btus. Use this formula to determine which models generate enough heat to warm your room. The formula assumes that your house is well insulated and has tight windows, and that you like the temperature set at 72 degrees F.

By JOSH GARSKOFTHIS OLD HOUSE MAGAZINE

Source: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20431996_20859244,00.html