I learned today that the black pipe used for gas installation uses NPT or tapered thread and not NPS, which is not tapered. The difference is that the tapered pipe self-seals and does not need pipe dope. (I’m going to dope the hell out of it anyway, just to be safe.)

I am sure you are glad to hear this, because I will be cutting and threading black pipe to finish my furnace install. If you will remember the old furnace burned up. The new furnace failed last March, and I spent a week in August reinstalling the new furnace. I am all done (no leaks) except that the gas pipe, which used to be a Rube Goldberg maze, is not done. I ripped it all out, but I did not have a pipe threader to install the new pipes. My brother Ward has Uncle Eddie’s tap and die kit. I never thought that I would need it. I bought a 3/4″ 14 NPT hex die today for $16 from a company in Michigan. It should be delivered from a warehouse in PA so I should have it by Thursday.

If the blog stops after Thursday it means that the gas piping didn’t go well.