Have you ever made the wrong connection? You were putting something together and it didn't go together quite right. Dads know all about that at Christmas.

When a contractor or a licensed professional makes connections they should be made right, period. No extra or mystery pieces left over when the job is done. Everything in its place.

When non-professionals tackle a job some times wrong connections are made. These bad connections usually occur out of a lack of knowledge or laziness or both.

Take for instance this pretty yellow gas pipe with its nice matching new yellow valve. Looks sweet, don't cha think? This gas connection is for the dryer to the left. To the right is the water heater. The gas pipe the pretty yellow pipe is attached to is for the water heater. Not a problem to splice into the pipe and to give some gas to the dryer. Problem here is where the connection was made.

The bottom of the water heater black gas pipe is referred to as a drip leg. That is where the installer connected the elbow to begin plumbing his yellow valve and pipe to the dryer. You can not connect anything from that point. The purpose of the drip leg is to trap sediment from the gas line.

Remember what I said about a lack of knowledge and laziness. This was the easiest place to connect the dryer gas line. So there she be.

This wrong connection will now have to be redone to make the right connection. Should be an easy job for any qualified professional.

James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

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