The gas equipment in the house, which includes stoves and gas heating boilers, is equipped with hoses for supplying fuel. Most often they are painted in bright yellow color. It is forbidden to work with them independently; such events are carried out by special services. But the choice and purchase of this element often lie on the shoulders of the end user, so it is important to consider what a flexible eyeliner is.
Varieties of gas hoses
If we consider gas hoses, then we should divide them into three varieties that differ from each other in the material of manufacture. Thus, on sale you can find bellows eyeliners; rubber sleeves that are supplied with a metal braid; as well as rubber fabric elements. Flexible eyeliner based on rubber-fabric sleeves is the softest, this quality can be called negative, since mechanical rigidity is at a minimum level. The advantage is that rubber products are not able to conduct electric current. Metal braided hoses are more common today among consumers. The reason for this popularity is expressed in low cost. Such a gas hose differs from the inlets intended for water in that a yellow strip can be found on its surface. Flexible bellows-type eyeliner is characterized by maximum rigidity and reliability among other types of hoses. For such a product you will have to pay the highest cost, regulatory documentation recommends the installation of products of this type. This is due to the fact that such a material perfectly copes with the high pressure that is created by the gas stream.
What you need to know before installation
You can choose a flexible eyeliner with certain characteristics, but in any case, the diameter should be more than 10 millimeters. This is due to the fact that modern gas equipment has high power, therefore, involves high fuel costs for efficient operation.
Installation Rules
Before proceeding with the installation of a flexible gas connection, it is necessary to shut off the gas pipeline. If we are talking about installing new gas equipment, it is first necessary to dismantle the old device, if necessary. At the next stage, a gas hose is installed, the master must check the tightness of the existing connections, which will help to eliminate the possibility of gas leakage. The new device is installed on the surface by level, and after that a performance check is carried out.
Installation Recommendations
When installing flexible gas inlet, it is important to follow some rules, one of which involves the installation of equipment at a distance of 4 meters or less from the hard gas pipeline. There must be a dielectric insert between the flexible hose and the gas tap. For flexible supply of domestic gas equipment, all three types of hoses, which are also called sleeves, can be used. Rubber-fabric provide the highest degree of safety of gas equipment. A positive electric potential is supplied to the pipe through which gas will flow to a residential building. This is necessary so that the pipe that is in the soil does not corrode. At the entrance to the living room, the pipe has a dielectric insert, and the risers are not under potential.
Recommendations of specialists
When a flexible gas line is installed, one cannot but take into account the likelihood that current will flow through the bellows or the metal braid that is at the base of the rubber sleeve. This can be dangerous for a sleeve that is braided. The cross section of the wire is very small, this indicates that the current density will be high. In this case, you need to be afraid that the braid of the hose will heat up like a spiral of an electric stove. When installing a flexible connection for the mixer, it is recommended to use a real dielectric insert. Most often it is made of plastic or has a metal thread at both ends. Experts advise you to purchase a bellows metal hose with yellow dielectric insulation, which is applied over the metal. It is best for the consumer to abandon the bare sleeve. Manufacturers coat for aesthetic reasons to make the surface of the hose easier to clean. However, due to the electrical characteristics of this coating, it prevents the occurrence of current in the sleeve if it touches the riser.
Nuances of installation work
It is worth remembering that a flexible gas supply must be installed only by specialists. It is necessary to exclude the kink of the hose, if such a need arises, it is necessary to ensure that the radius does not reach the minimum level established by the documentation. Before the nuts are connected to the consumer, the wiring must be configured as required. The wiring should not bend in a section that is closer than 7 centimeters from the union nut. This is true if it is connected to a gas appliance. The flexible eyeliner must in no case be stretched; hose twisting should be excluded. If there is a need for the use of union nuts, then they should be operated exclusively with flat gaskets. In order to exclude the possibility of breakthrough gaskets, do not overtighten the nuts. If damage has been noticed, the entire replacement should be carried out.
What else you need to know about bellows
Today you can buy flexible eyeliner for the mixer in the store of the corresponding goods, this also applies to the bellows eyeliner, which, although expensive, has found its distribution among consumers. This product is a corrugated hose made of stainless steel. At the ends are fittings made of stainless steel. Such a connection should be fixed to the gas inlet pipe or equipment using union nuts. Be sure to use gaskets made of metal, which should be soft, aluminum or copper should be included here. In the role of material for laying, special plastic can be used.
Such a flexible stainless steel eyeliner may have corrugations and fittings made of different materials. However, experts recommend purchasing products that are completely made from the same foundation. A similar requirement is due to the fact that welding of different metals can cause an electrochemical reaction that contributes to the destruction of the weld. Such a connection can not be called durable.
Conclusion
Specialists recommend paying special attention to those pipes in which the fittings are soldered with silver or tin. They will not be durable durable, like those in which the fittings are glued. The bellows eyeliner can undergo pressure up to 6 atmospheres, and the elongation of the product can be 100%, this indicates that the bellows can be easily stretched during installation to a double increase.