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My new home is under construction and I noticed the gas has been distributed to three places through a very tight and rough hand-dug hole.

Yes, I have concern about potential gas leakage. Though we will have advanced detector...

Is such installation normal? If not, What kind of code is related to this?

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Update: 2016/03/06

More unbelievable work has been done to "protect" the gas pipes...

not straight stress hurt1 hurt2 hurt3 brand of the flexible pipe

County inspector just say they will determine if it meets the minimum code requirements. Now just wait to see if it can pass the county inspection.

BigBadFatRabbit
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    Wow those look like flexible lines. In my area it must be hard plumed inside a wall. Gas lines are usually pressure tested to 30psi and the actual pressure is less than 2psi. If those are flex lines I would ask the inspector if they are allowed in a wall. Many times the inspectors only check the pressure gauge then check the points of use so this could be overlooked. Then they check the gauge on the way out no pressure change it gets a green sticker. – Ed Beal Feb 29 '16 at 14:07
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    I think your plumber might be an idiot. Also @EdBeal is right, flex lines inside a wall are a bad idea, and flex lines so close to the interior edge of a sill plate? Someone installing baseboard around this room stands a great chance of nailing right into the flex. – Shimon Rura Feb 29 '16 at 15:39
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    What on earth is even going on in this house? The hardline for the gas comes from the second floor and goes down toward the basement? And they don't see fit to extend it another 6 inches into the basement, and instead put an ugly hole in the sill to stuff flex lines through? Aside from investigating if it will even pass code, I would demand a full explanation by your super. Unless there is a really good reason, insist they rework the entire connection and fix that sill. – Jeff Meden Feb 29 '16 at 17:50
  • Oh and one more thing, as a fellow new home owner, if you are noticing stuff like this that's way off base I would pay extremely close attention to the insulation phase of the build. It's done in a hurry (like everything), and usually drywall is thrown up right after, and if the insulation company misses something you wont know about it until you have some very uncomfortable areas of your home, and fixing it after the fact is a huge hassle. If you can, take the day off work to watch them do it or at least follow up the day it's "complete", it will be time well spent. – Jeff Meden Feb 29 '16 at 17:53
  • THANK YOU EVERYBODY! I have raised the concerns to builder. And also I am going to the county and show them the pictures. Not sure whether I will be able to talk to the inspector who is supposed to check the house directly. BTW, the house is being built by "American #1 Builder"..... Good thing is we get chance to observe such internal works. I even start to worry about neighbors who bought their constructed home. – BigBadFatRabbit Feb 29 '16 at 19:16
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    As a homeowner you should always be entitled to observe inspections and get answers from the inspection authority to any questions you may have. Builders don't go out of their way to seek extra scrutiny but you're paying for all of this and your family will be living here. In my experience, inspectors are happy to meet homeowners who want to understand good building. You do have to be a stickler about this though because inspection schedules tend to jump around a lot in response to both contractor and inspector availability. – Shimon Rura Feb 29 '16 at 19:38
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    You can also hire your own inspector to monitor the progress of your house as it is constructed and help you identify any deficiencies. Look for an unbiased home inspector and see what they'd charge for a few visits at key points during the project. – Shimon Rura Feb 29 '16 at 19:41
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    @BigBadFatRabbit Please, as a favor, follow up on this story! I am really curious to know how that pipe layout came to be. – Jeff Meden Feb 29 '16 at 21:02
  • Yeah that is crap. There would be no way to access the fittings if one of them developed a leak. Any pipe in a wall should be a continuous length if possible. If not possible then a coupling might be allowable but flexible adapter fittings should never be covered up inside a wall. The pipe has to be pressure tested before the wall is completed. – ArchonOSX Mar 01 '16 at 01:22
  • I am stuck now. Just got reply from builder **"gas lines and are not going to leak. This is a standard installation and it passed inspection today."**. I am not a person who is good at argue and fight...sorry. Probably the best result is just to cancel the contract and lose both the earnest money and upgrade deposit. :(. Though it's a big amount. – BigBadFatRabbit Mar 01 '16 at 04:15
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    @BigBadFatRabbit if you know that you are the kind to not stand up to contractors when it's in your best interest, then instead of losing money by canceling a contract, spend money and hire yourself another contractor to perform your own inspections. just because it passes permit inspections doesn't mean it's a good idea, and a contractor with no financial interest in the quality of workmanship will be able to point out these problems to you. – longneck Mar 02 '16 at 16:43
  • @BigBadFatRabbit and i bet it didn't pass builder inspection, but instead passed pressure testing from the gas company. typically they won't come inside and check the lines, just pressure test from the outside. – longneck Mar 02 '16 at 16:44
  • What did the local building department say, when you showed them the photos? – Tester101 Mar 02 '16 at 16:50
  • @Tester101, Thank you. I got response from county inspector and said builder has not requested the inspection yet. We will let them complete the work and call for inspection. Yes, I am going to hire my own contractor to walk through the house (not sure if builder allow, will check with my realtor) and point any potential issue to me. – BigBadFatRabbit Mar 02 '16 at 19:02
  • @longneck, yes, will start to hire a professional to perform a check for me. – BigBadFatRabbit Mar 02 '16 at 19:13
  • Thank you all for commenting and suggestions. Seller agree to terminate the contract and return all the money. So it's a good ending. – BigBadFatRabbit Mar 11 '16 at 01:10

2 Answers2

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No, it is not okay. Make sure this is fixed before it's covered up. I'd have to search through the code books to find all the relevant code sections, but simply looking at this there appears to be a few problems.

I'm pretty sure you can't have connections like that in concealed location. So if this wall is going to be finished (covered with drywall), they have to be moved.

If the pipe is within a certain distance from the edge of the wood member it passes through, steel plates have to be used to protect the pipe.

I'm not sure if non-rigid pipe is allowed in concealed locations, but I'm sure if it is, it has to be protected in some way.

Call your local government, and have this inspected.

Tester101
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  • (not a plumber disclaimer) These don't look like flex lines to attach appliances, but rather CSST. One manufacturer's literature (http://www.wardmfg.com/literaturedownloads-2/) shows fittings in concealed locations, stating: _WARDFlex®/WARDFlex®MAX mechanical fittings have been tested and listed per the requirements of ANSI LC-1 /CSA 6.26. This specification provides test requirements which certify fittings for concealed locations and connections where accessibility is not possible. When the use of a concealed fitting is required always reference the National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 54 or CSA B149_ – Tim B Mar 02 '16 at 16:29
  • @TimB That's true, the pipe may be allowed in concealed locations, however, as I said, I think it has to be protected in a specific way especially where going through framing members. Black iron pipe needs less protection, whereas CSST typically requires large steel plates. See [this answer](http://diy.stackexchange.com/a/76121/33) for more detail. – Tester101 Mar 02 '16 at 16:44
  • yes, I added that as a comment on another answer. I was only speaking to whether hidden fittings were never allowed. No strike plates and penetrating outside of the bottom plate both look like real issues. – Tim B Mar 02 '16 at 17:36
  • @TimB, Thanks for the CSST information! I think then it's probably OK to be installed in the concealed place. The builder still hasn't finished the work for inspection. They will install steel plates before inspection I think. As you said, penetrating outside of the bottom plate will be an issue...The ugly dug hole really make me sick:(. I will wait to see what county inspector says and keep eye on this until they really do it right. – BigBadFatRabbit Mar 02 '16 at 18:57
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I would not have any flex lines in the walls. It is probably against code. It could be ruptured by a nail or screw. As for running it through the floor and trench they make a solid pipe rated for that. If you passed inspection it would be a good idea to ask for another one and point this out. Better safe then sorry.

Tom G.
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    I quote one CSST manufacturer's literature above. It does appear to be permitted to run CSST through walls, but that same document shows that striker plates are required to protect the tubing: _At concealed support points and points of penetration less than 2 inches from any edge of a stud, joist, plate, etc. shielding is required at the area of support and extending 5 inches in one or both directions (if appropriate)._ So based on that, I don't see how the lack of protection at the floor penetration passed. In fact, how do they even plan to drywall that spot? – Tim B Mar 02 '16 at 16:32