Kitchen Gas Appliances - copper gas line

I have an older home with what appears to be black iron. after a shut-off valve, there is a "T" (which is plugged off), then a reducer of a diffrent material (regular iron?), then copper. I have been getting some raised eyebrows and advice to change all of this to black iron. If I do, and since the copper is only like 1/4", I will need to reroute the new supply. Does anyone know if there is a clearance from electrical conductors (NM and EMT)? Any advice will be great.

Hello: mostwanted. Welcome to my Gas Appliances topic.

Not familar with the codes in your area. However, copper is not approved for use with natural gas. The gas contains trace amounts of sulfur and other chemicals that deteriorate the copper from the inside. Leaks than occur.

All copper lines which are used to carry natural gas must be removed to meet codes. Check with the building department in your area for the rules and codes which apply.

Either iron or black iron pipe is approved for natural gas in every part of the country in which I am aware of. Again, check with the building department in your area to be sure.

Based on the description you described, the gaslines you current have are not to code and most likely not installed by a licensed plumbing professional. Most likely installed by a non professional or a prior homeowner.

Clearance between electrical lines may also apply in your area. Out this way, as long as the electrical lines and the gas piping are not in contact with each other, all is well.

Electrical lines cannot be grounded to gas lines. That would not meet codes nor meet the rules of the natural gas supplier. Contacting them would provide the answers to the grounding question.

Contacting the natural gas supplier, as well as the electrical company, may also provide the answers to the distances between the gas lines and the electrical lines, etc. As would contacting any licensed electrical contractor.

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This Code was not brought to my attention until this past weekend. A customer spied the shiny copper pipe running to the gas stove in my store showroom and pointed out that it was not allowed by Code. The customer was from WV, and I am across the river in KY. I had the stove recently installed by a licensed plumber, and it was inspected by the local inspector who also inspected my new hot water heater installation.

Mostwanted:

This is just a question too good to be true. From the KC area.

Depending on what part of town you are in will have a big impact on the answer.
The KC area is a great location for codes. 2 states and several different towns that use the IPC, UPC, NPC, all of different years. If you are in KCMO proper, there is a combination of IPC and UPC for the plumbing code, and this also has local amendments.

For a general rule, only regulators and meters have clearance issues with any code. Piping and pipe runs not a real issue.

Copper is a big no no. Even galvanized iron pipe in some areas not approved. CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) approved on variance in some local areas.

I'd talk to the local building department to see what code you fall under for this work. Once you know that, we can go from there.

thanks for all your replys. I am converting to black pipe today.