The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to turn
it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that looks
like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a factor???

Any ideas?



Thanks,

Joe

"Joe J." wrote in message
news
The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath
the fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall
and the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that
looks like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas
and instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the
wall and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned
on because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on
the outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve. Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the
valve? The house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be
a factor???

Any ideas?



Thanks,

Joe



Get your family out of the house quick and then be damn sure there's no gas
leak if you've broken the valve before I'd let them back in. Call the gas
company.

On Dec 24, 8:48*am, "Joe J." wrote:
The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. *The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. *It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to turn
it off. *That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. *The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that looks
like an old roller skate key. *Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. *I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? *The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe-

Can you smell gas? The odorant that is put into NG can be noticed by
most people down in the parts per billion range.

No need to panic but do the sniff test & have someone else do it as
well if your nose isn't great.

BTW the explosive limit range on NG is something around 10% +/- (not
sure if that's volume or mass ratio). There is a range but I'm not
sure how wide. The odorant allows NG to be sensed at concentrations
well below 1% so you have a sbustantial margin before you get anywhere
close to the explosive.....unless you're dealing with a "confined
space", like a small utility basement, vault or closet.

I know it would be cool to get the fireplace running for Xmas eve &
Xmas.....but personally, I'd give up on trying to get it working
today. Best to attempt a repair without holiday deadlines.

Better to have no fireplace than an uninhabitable house.

I had a gas log set that my wife had me "disable" so that we could use
real wood.

Is your installation such that you could remove the "fake logs" and
burn a little wood for the next couple days?

cheers
Bob

"BobK207" wrote in message
...
On Dec 24, 8:48 am, "Joe J." wrote:
The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn
it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that looks
like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe-

Can you smell gas? The odorant that is put into NG can be noticed by
most people down in the parts per billion range.

No need to panic but do the sniff test & have someone else do it as
well if your nose isn't great.

BTW the explosive limit range on NG is something around 10% +/- (not
sure if that's volume or mass ratio). There is a range but I'm not
sure how wide. The odorant allows NG to be sensed at concentrations
well below 1% so you have a sbustantial margin before you get anywhere
close to the explosive.....unless you're dealing with a "confined
space", like a small utility basement, vault or closet.

I know it would be cool to get the fireplace running for Xmas eve &
Xmas.....but personally, I'd give up on trying to get it working
today. Best to attempt a repair without holiday deadlines.

Better to have no fireplace than an uninhabitable house.

I had a gas log set that my wife had me "disable" so that we could use
real wood.

Is your installation such that you could remove the "fake logs" and
burn a little wood for the next couple days?

cheers
Bob

Burning it for the holidays isn't a priority. There is no gas odor, I do
know what that smells like.
Would you recommend calling a plumber or someone else for repair? I just
found out it is not covered under our 1 year home warranty insurance, Darn!

Thanks,
Joe

On Dec 24, 12:35*pm, "Joe J." wrote:
*I just found out it is not covered under our 1 year home warranty insurance, *Darn!

Thanks,
Joe

Congratulations. You've just had your first lesson in worthless home
warranty insurance. By now you probably have read the policy
provisions and found that almost everything is excluded.
At this point you need to have the repairs done by a competent
plumber. As the work progresses, take a few pictures of the operation.
Ask the plumber what the root cause of the problem was and have it
itemized on the invoice. Since you bought the house expecting it to
have functional plumbing, it is not unreasonable to be compensated for
replacement of faulty parts or poorly installed controls. If the
amount of the invoice is substantial, a letter from your lawyer may
change the attitude of the insurance weenies. If it not all that
pricey, then write it off to experience and if you must have warranty
'insurance' go shopping for a more highly rated company via A., M.
Best. Good luck.

Joe

On Dec 24, 10:35*am, "Joe J." wrote:
"BobK207" wrote in message

...
On Dec 24, 8:48 am, "Joe J." wrote:



The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn
it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that looks
like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe-

Can you smell gas? * The odorant that is put into NG can be noticed by
most people down in the parts per billion range.

No need to panic but do the sniff test & have someone else do it as
well if your nose isn't great.

BTW the explosive limit range on NG is something around 10% +/- *(not
sure if that's volume or mass ratio). *There is a range but I'm not
sure how wide. * The odorant allows NG to be sensed at concentrations
well below 1% so you have a sbustantial margin before you get anywhere
close to the explosive.....unless you're dealing with a "confined
space", like a small utility basement, vault or closet.

I know it would be cool to get the fireplace running for Xmas eve &
Xmas.....but personally, * I'd give up on trying to get it working
today. * Best to attempt a repair without holiday deadlines. * * *

Better to have no fireplace than an uninhabitable house.

I had a gas log set that my wife had me "disable" so that we could use
real wood.

Is your installation such that you could remove the "fake logs" and
burn a little wood for the next couple days?

cheers
Bob

Burning it for the holidays isn't a priority. *There is no gas odor, I do
know what that smells like.
Would you recommend calling a plumber or someone else for repair? *I just
found out it is not covered under our 1 year home warranty insurance, *Darn!

Thanks,
Joe

Joe-


This is the time to start to develop the skills to do this type of
work yourself (maybe a relative or neighbor with skills to help out)
Or
assemble a "stable" of reliable repair specialists (plumber,
electrician, capable handyman)

a competent handyman can handle this.... a "real" plumber might be a
bit of overkill. Ask your neighbors who they use for house repairs


Depends on how handy / experienced you are....
you "could" DIY but a gas situation would not be my first choice of a
solo learning experience.

I tackle most repairs myself but I've got nearly 45+ years of very
heavy DIY' ing plus I'm a mechanical engineer with 13 years aerospace
prototype work and nearly 20 years running a civil / structure
university research lab.

cheers
Bob

PS like the other Joe mentioned, that home warranty insurance is
pretty much worthless.

Sharp Dressed Man wrote:
"Joe J." wrote in message
news
The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath
the fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall
and the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that
looks like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas
and instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the
wall and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned
on because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on
the outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve. Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the
valve? The house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be
a factor???

Any ideas?



Thanks,

Joe



Get your family out of the house quick and then be damn sure there's no gas
leak if you've broken the valve before I'd let them back in. Call the gas
company.


Hi,
Ditto!

On Dec 25, 8:40*am, Bubba wrote:
On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:47:24 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:



On Dec 24, 10:35*am, "Joe J." wrote:
"BobK207" wrote in message

....
On Dec 24, 8:48 am, "Joe J." wrote:

The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn
it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that looks
like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe-

Can you smell gas? * The odorant that is put into NG can be noticed by
most people down in the parts per billion range.

No need to panic but do the sniff test & have someone else do it as
well if your nose isn't great.

BTW the explosive limit range on NG is something around 10% +/- *(not
sure if that's volume or mass ratio). *There is a range but I'm not
sure how wide. * The odorant allows NG to be sensed at concentrations
well below 1% so you have a sbustantial margin before you get anywhere
close to the explosive.....unless you're dealing with a "confined
space", like a small utility basement, vault or closet.

I know it would be cool to get the fireplace running for Xmas eve &
Xmas.....but personally, * I'd give up on trying to get it working
today. * Best to attempt a repair without holiday deadlines. * * *

Better to have no fireplace than an uninhabitable house.

I had a gas log set that my wife had me "disable" so that we could use
real wood.

Is your installation such that you could remove the "fake logs" and
burn a little wood for the next couple days?

cheers
Bob

Burning it for the holidays isn't a priority. *There is no gas odor, I do
know what that smells like.
Would you recommend calling a plumber or someone else for repair? *I just
found out it is not covered under our 1 year home warranty insurance, *Darn!

Thanks,
Joe

Joe-

This is the time to start to develop the skills to do this type of
work yourself (maybe a relative or neighbor with skills to help out)
Or
assemble a "stable" of reliable repair specialists (plumber,
electrician, capable handyman)

a competent handyman can handle this.... a "real" plumber might be a
bit of overkill. *Ask your neighbors who they use for house repairs

Depends on how handy / experienced you are....
you "could" DIY but a gas situation would not be my first choice of a
solo learning experience.

I tackle most repairs myself but I've got nearly 45+ years of very
heavy DIY' ing plus I'm a mechanical engineer with 13 years aerospace
prototype work and nearly 20 years running a civil / structure
university research lab.

cheers
Bob

PS * like the other Joe mentioned, that home warranty insurance is
pretty much worthless.

Yeah Bob,
Thats great advice. Have a guy (the OP) that doesnt have a clue, start
futzing around with a drinking buddie of his and start tearing into a
gas line thats hidden in a wall. Its only gas, nothing could happen
there. Lets see, broken mount that is turning in the wall, channel
locks, and spraying it with some lubricant. Yup, youve just about got
everything there for disaster except the match. Maybe his buddie
smokes?
A better idea would be to call a licensed *INSURED* plumber/hvac
company. Have them do it, maybe watch them and get your experience a
bit more slowly. All you have to do is look at the news and see all
the houses that explode from natural gas leaks.
Here is the latest one from just today:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,472664,00.html
Merry safe Christmas,
Bubba

Merry Christmas Bubba-

In your time off today, please re-read my posts more carefully.

I believe your inherent bias inhibits your reading comprehension.

all the houses that explode from natural gas leaks.

just how many occur nationwide per year?

Yes, natural gas can be dangerous but what are root causes of these
explosions?
DIY's, "pros" who did crappy work or ?

In my neighborhood, a licensed plumber not only set fire to the house
he was working on (did some sweating & then went to lunch) but it
spread to house next door. A licensed contractor burned his own
garage down.

cheers
Bob

Bubba-

Thanks for your constructive additions to the thread........

And thank you for your concern about the extra costs built into water
heaters.

But I seriously doubt any additional cost will have significant
financial impact on me
since water heaters in my house last about 20 years.

However, it is important to keep "the masses" afraid &
ignorant......... so keep up your selfless public service.

Isn't the answer always supposed to be "hire a pro, lest you hurt
yourself or endanger your family" ?

Merry Christmas
Bob

On Dec 24, 10:48*am, "Joe J." wrote:
The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. *The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. *It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to turn
it off. *That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. *The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that looks
like an old roller skate key. *Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. *I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? *The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Dont mess with what you dont know about, find a gas shutoff before the
bad valve in the basement, or call someone. I hope you have tools
ready to shut gas off at the meter and know how to do it. Do you have
a home warranty. It may be a bad install missed by the inspector and
free to get it fixed with their help, call your city its free.

"BobK207" wrote in message
...
On Dec 24, 10:35 am, "Joe J." wrote:
"BobK207" wrote in message

...
On Dec 24, 8:48 am, "Joe J." wrote:



The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn
it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath the
fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that
looks
like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the
wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve? The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a
factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe-

Can you smell gas? The odorant that is put into NG can be noticed by
most people down in the parts per billion range.

No need to panic but do the sniff test & have someone else do it as
well if your nose isn't great.

BTW the explosive limit range on NG is something around 10% +/- (not
sure if that's volume or mass ratio). There is a range but I'm not
sure how wide. The odorant allows NG to be sensed at concentrations
well below 1% so you have a sbustantial margin before you get anywhere
close to the explosive.....unless you're dealing with a "confined
space", like a small utility basement, vault or closet.

I know it would be cool to get the fireplace running for Xmas eve &
Xmas.....but personally, I'd give up on trying to get it working
today. Best to attempt a repair without holiday deadlines.

Better to have no fireplace than an uninhabitable house.

I had a gas log set that my wife had me "disable" so that we could use
real wood.

Is your installation such that you could remove the "fake logs" and
burn a little wood for the next couple days?

cheers
Bob

Burning it for the holidays isn't a priority. There is no gas odor, I do
know what that smells like.
Would you recommend calling a plumber or someone else for repair? I just
found out it is not covered under our 1 year home warranty insurance,
Darn!

Thanks,
Joe

Joe-


This is the time to start to develop the skills to do this type of
work yourself (maybe a relative or neighbor with skills to help out)
Or
assemble a "stable" of reliable repair specialists (plumber,
electrician, capable handyman)

a competent handyman can handle this.... a "real" plumber might be a
bit of overkill. Ask your neighbors who they use for house repairs


Depends on how handy / experienced you are....
you "could" DIY but a gas situation would not be my first choice of a
solo learning experience.

I tackle most repairs myself but I've got nearly 45+ years of very
heavy DIY' ing plus I'm a mechanical engineer with 13 years aerospace
prototype work and nearly 20 years running a civil / structure
university research lab.

cheers
Bob


Just wanted to give a public thank you to Bob for helping me out in a
private email. It turns out that what actually happened is the valve key I
bought at Lowes got caught on the trim ring causing it to turn on the wall.
Once I found out that ring is just threaded onto the valve and is removable,
I was able to remove it, fit the key in and turn the valve. The fireplace
is working and my wife is very happy. I just need to find a narrower key
that will fit onto the valve and rotate within the trim ring.

Joe

On Dec 26, 5:26*pm, Bubba wrote:
On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:28:53 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:





Bubba-

Thanks for your constructive additions to the thread........

And thank you for your concern about the extra costs built into water
heaters.

But I seriously doubt any additional cost will have significant
financial impact on me
since water heaters in my house last about 20 years.

However, it is important to keep "the masses" *afraid &
ignorant......... so keep up your selfless public service.

Isn't the answer always supposed to be *"hire a pro, lest you hurt
yourself or endanger your family" ?

Merry Christmas
Bob

You'll be hard pressed Bob, to find a water heater that lasts 20 yrs
anymore. 10 yrs is about if for them now.
You can be afraid or not. You can also pay me now or pay me later.
I really dont care which.
Bubba- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That depends on local water and what you buy, try AO Smith commercial
line.

On Dec 26, 3:26*pm, Bubba wrote:
On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:28:53 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:



Bubba-

Thanks for your constructive additions to the thread........

And thank you for your concern about the extra costs built into water
heaters.

But I seriously doubt any additional cost will have significant
financial impact on me
since water heaters in my house last about 20 years.

However, it is important to keep "the masses" *afraid &
ignorant......... so keep up your selfless public service.

Isn't the answer always supposed to be *"hire a pro, lest you hurt
yourself or endanger your family" ?

Merry Christmas
Bob

You'll be hard pressed Bob, to find a water heater that lasts 20 yrs
anymore. 10 yrs is about if for them now.
You can be afraid or not. You can also pay me now or pay me later.
I really don't care which.
Bubba

Bubba-

I will never pay you because I will never have a need for your
services;
I can either do it myself or hire one of the pros from my
"stable"......... competent & reasonable w/o the "attitude".

And the water chem in my city is noted for being very benign to water
heaters.
If I'm lucky my current water heater might even outlast me...even if I
don't replace the anode.

btw......much to your likely chagrin, I was able to "talk" Joe through
his repair......
no gas leak, no explosions, no fires, no deaths, no injuries, no
problem

just a little guidance & information

(actually via private email to avoid your insistent, annoying &
useless kibitzing)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Bob

Bubba-

I can easily stand a little internet poking but rude, ridiculous
rants that cover three standard deviation cases without adding
anything constructive to the thread just get in the way of a solution.

Don't worry you won't need to show up, you won't we getting a call.

Don't have the nerve to tell a customer you won't work for them...just
don't show up?
Great technique!

I don't frequent bars (you're projecting again). I have pros that
I've used for many years & they seem to enjoy working for me...go
figure. Maybe that's because I appreciate their knowledge, skill and
the good work they do for me.....and the fact that I tell them so.

Thanks for the tip on water pressure!
Oh, I guess that's why I installed a pressure reducing valve and a set
of water hammer arrestors? Maybe it was just luck?

I'm not surprised you're surprised......the stuff you think is so hard
that a DIY'r should stay away from it.........it ain't rocket
science, since even you can do it.

But you just want to insult, ridicule & instill fear.... not share
information & educate.

I won't be needing that tutor or step by step instructions.
I'm the guy who is part of the design team for this type of stuff &
writes those step by step instructions.


cheers
Bob

On Dec 29, 6:05*am, Bubba wrote:
On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:17:39 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:



Bubba-

I can easily stand a little internet poking but rude, ridiculous
rants *that cover three standard deviation cases *without adding
anything constructive to the thread just get in the way of a solution.

Don't worry you won't need to show up, you won't we getting a call.

Don't have the nerve to tell a customer you won't work for them...just
don't show up?
Great technique!

I don't frequent *bars (you're projecting again). * I have pros that
I've used for many years & they seem to enjoy working for me...go
figure. *Maybe that's because I appreciate their knowledge, skill and
the good work they do for me.....and the fact that I tell them so.

Thanks for the tip on water pressure!
Oh, I guess that's why I installed a pressure reducing valve and a set
of water hammer arrestors? *Maybe it was just luck?

I'm not surprised you're surprised......the stuff you think is so hard
that a DIY'r should stay away from it.........it *ain't rocket
science, since even you can do it.

But you just want to insult, ridicule & instill fear.... not share
information & educate.

I won't be needing that tutor or step by step instructions.
I'm the guy who is part of the design team for this type of stuff &
writes those step by step instructions. *

cheers
Bob

uh huh. Thats right Bob. You keep believing all that rant you type.
In your own words:
"it ain't rockec science, since even you (Bubba) can do it."
"I (bob) wont be needing that tutor or step by step instructions."
"I'm (bob) the guy who is part of the design team for this type of
stuff & writes those step by step instructions."
Now, with all that horse **** chest beating, patting yourself on the
back crap you typed yet YOU cant fiqure out such a simple little
problem. Something so simple it was easily diagnosed by your first
post yet several posts later and you still havent a clue.
Maybe you should go back and type yourself some more step by step
instructions with that tutor that you dont seem to need.
It must suck to be Bob.
Bubba

Bub-

I was really worried about you....... being silent for so long.
I thought maybe you got locked for DUI over the weekend or
worse ........killed in a traffic accident.

Glad to see you're still around.
But that hangover must be a killer....your recent post makes even less
sense than your typical one.

All I can say is ..... huh?
You win, with your next post you can have the last word on this
thread.

Be safe and ......

Happy New Year!

Bob

On Dec 29, 11:04*am, BobK207 wrote:
On Dec 29, 6:05*am, Bubba wrote:





On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:17:39 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:

Bubba-

I can easily stand a little internet poking but rude, ridiculous
rants *that cover three standard deviation cases *without adding
anything constructive to the thread just get in the way of a solution.

Don't worry you won't need to show up, you won't we getting a call.

Don't have the nerve to tell a customer you won't work for them...just
don't show up?
Great technique!

I don't frequent *bars (you're projecting again). * I have pros that
I've used for many years & they seem to enjoy working for me...go
figure. *Maybe that's because I appreciate their knowledge, skill and
the good work they do for me.....and the fact that I tell them so.

Thanks for the tip on water pressure!
Oh, I guess that's why I installed a pressure reducing valve and a set
of water hammer arrestors? *Maybe it was just luck?

I'm not surprised you're surprised......the stuff you think is so hard
that a DIY'r should stay away from it.........it *ain't rocket
science, since even you can do it.

But you just want to insult, ridicule & instill fear.... not share
information & educate.

I won't be needing that tutor or step by step instructions.
I'm the guy who is part of the design team for this type of stuff &
writes those step by step instructions. *

cheers
Bob

uh huh. Thats right Bob. You keep believing all that rant you type.
In your own words:
"it ain't rockec science, since even you (Bubba) can do it."
"I (bob) wont be needing that tutor or step by step instructions."
"I'm (bob) the guy who is part of the design team for this type of
stuff & writes those step by step instructions."
Now, with all that horse **** chest beating, patting yourself on the
back crap you typed yet YOU cant fiqure out such a simple little
problem. Something so simple it was easily diagnosed by your first
post yet several posts later and you still havent a clue.
Maybe you should go back and type yourself some more step by step
instructions with that tutor that you dont seem to need.
It must suck to be Bob.
Bubba

Bub-

I was really worried about you....... being silent for so long.
I thought maybe you got locked for DUI over the weekend or
worse ........killed in a traffic accident.

Glad to see you're still around.
But that hangover must be a killer....your recent post makes even less
sense than your typical one.

All I can say is ..... *huh?
You win, with your next post you can have the last word on this
thread. *

Be safe and ......

Happy New Year!

Bob- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

He cant get to the computer in the Prison library every day and you
are 104 on his list to beat on.

On Dec 29, 8:39*pm, Bubba wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:19:51 -0800 (PST), ransley





wrote:
On Dec 29, 11:04*am, BobK207 wrote:
On Dec 29, 6:05*am, Bubba wrote:

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:17:39 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:

Bubba-

I can easily stand a little internet poking but rude, ridiculous
rants *that cover three standard deviation cases *without adding
anything constructive to the thread just get in the way of a solution.

Don't worry you won't need to show up, you won't we getting a call.

Don't have the nerve to tell a customer you won't work for them...just
don't show up?
Great technique!

I don't frequent *bars (you're projecting again). * I have pros that
I've used for many years & they seem to enjoy working for me...go
figure. *Maybe that's because I appreciate their knowledge, skill and
the good work they do for me.....and the fact that I tell them so.

Thanks for the tip on water pressure!
Oh, I guess that's why I installed a pressure reducing valve and a set
of water hammer arrestors? *Maybe it was just luck?

I'm not surprised you're surprised......the stuff you think is so hard
that a DIY'r should stay away from it.........it *ain't rocket
science, since even you can do it.

But you just want to insult, ridicule & instill fear.... not share
information & educate.

I won't be needing that tutor or step by step instructions.
I'm the guy who is part of the design team for this type of stuff &
writes those step by step instructions. *

cheers
Bob

uh huh. Thats right Bob. You keep believing all that rant you type.
In your own words:
"it ain't rockec science, since even you (Bubba) can do it."
"I (bob) wont be needing that tutor or step by step instructions."
"I'm (bob) the guy who is part of the design team for this type of
stuff & writes those step by step instructions."
Now, with all that horse **** chest beating, patting yourself on the
back crap you typed yet YOU cant fiqure out such a simple little
problem. Something so simple it was easily diagnosed by your first
post yet several posts later and you still havent a clue.
Maybe you should go back and type yourself some more step by step
instructions with that tutor that you dont seem to need.
It must suck to be Bob.
Bubba

Bub-

I was really worried about you....... being silent for so long.
I thought maybe you got locked for DUI over the weekend or
worse ........killed in a traffic accident.

Glad to see you're still around.
But that hangover must be a killer....your recent post makes even less
sense than your typical one.

All I can say is ..... *huh?
You win, with your next post you can have the last word on this
thread. *

Be safe and ......

Happy New Year!

Bob- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

He cant get to the computer in the Prison library every day and you
are 104 on his list to beat on.

Hey Rans,
You that bored that you need to jump in on someones else's arguement
to start **** because you can get anyone else to join you?
What a lonely little twit you must be.
Bubba- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I just wanted to see another rude reply from the king of rude, I got
it you replied rudly.

It would be hard to spin if hard mounted in pipe. There are two types of
these valves. one "angle"' inlet bottom and outlet side. and "straight",
inlet one side and outlet on the other side. Wall is normally "straight".
If plumbed with copper (not allowed here), then it is possible to spin the
valve housing. Take off the cover plate, a 1/2" ratchet works. See if you
can see more with it off. Some of these valves push in 1/4" then turns. If
you have damaged the plumbing, it is time for a professional.

"Joe J." wrote in message
news
The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall. The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath
the fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall
and the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that
looks like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas
and instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the
wall and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned
on because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on
the outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve. Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the
valve? The house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be
a factor???

Any ideas?



Thanks,

Joe

There are normally two key sizes for these 1/4" and 5/16". The "universal"
has 5/16" then steps down to 1/4". The universal is too large for your
valve. I had this happen to a whole shipment sent to me earlier this year.
You should be able to find a 1/4" key locally, if not let me know.


"Joe J." wrote in message
...

"BobK207" wrote in message
...
On Dec 24, 10:35 am, "Joe J." wrote:
"BobK207" wrote in message

...
On Dec 24, 8:48 am, "Joe J." wrote:



The house we just purchased has a gas fireplace built into the wall.
The
gas company came out and restarted service and lit all the appliances,
including the fireplace pilot. It was still hot out and that pilot was
throwing off a good amount of heat so I used the wall shut-off valve to
turn
it off. That was before I realized there was an off-valve underneath
the
fireplace. The wall shutoff is a 2 inch circular mount into the wall
and
the center contains the valve stem control which requires a key that
looks
like an old roller skate key. Anyway, I'm trying to turn on the gas and
instead of the pin turning, the entire mount has broken free from the
wall
and everything is rotating but I don't think the gas is being turned on
because I can't light the pilot. I tried putting a channel locks on the
outer mount and tried turning the valve stem but it won't budge.

I was thinking of buying some liquid wrench and spraying that on the
valve.
Or, am I going to have to break open the wall and replace the valve?
The
house is only 2 years old so I don't think corrosion would be a
factor???

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe-

Can you smell gas? The odorant that is put into NG can be noticed by
most people down in the parts per billion range.

No need to panic but do the sniff test & have someone else do it as
well if your nose isn't great.

BTW the explosive limit range on NG is something around 10% +/- (not
sure if that's volume or mass ratio). There is a range but I'm not
sure how wide. The odorant allows NG to be sensed at concentrations
well below 1% so you have a sbustantial margin before you get anywhere
close to the explosive.....unless you're dealing with a "confined
space", like a small utility basement, vault or closet.

I know it would be cool to get the fireplace running for Xmas eve &
Xmas.....but personally, I'd give up on trying to get it working
today. Best to attempt a repair without holiday deadlines.

Better to have no fireplace than an uninhabitable house.

I had a gas log set that my wife had me "disable" so that we could use
real wood.

Is your installation such that you could remove the "fake logs" and
burn a little wood for the next couple days?

cheers
Bob

Burning it for the holidays isn't a priority. There is no gas odor, I do
know what that smells like.
Would you recommend calling a plumber or someone else for repair? I just
found out it is not covered under our 1 year home warranty insurance,
Darn!

Thanks,
Joe

Joe-


This is the time to start to develop the skills to do this type of
work yourself (maybe a relative or neighbor with skills to help out)
Or
assemble a "stable" of reliable repair specialists (plumber,
electrician, capable handyman)

a competent handyman can handle this.... a "real" plumber might be a
bit of overkill. Ask your neighbors who they use for house repairs


Depends on how handy / experienced you are....
you "could" DIY but a gas situation would not be my first choice of a
solo learning experience.

I tackle most repairs myself but I've got nearly 45+ years of very
heavy DIY' ing plus I'm a mechanical engineer with 13 years aerospace
prototype work and nearly 20 years running a civil / structure
university research lab.

cheers
Bob


Just wanted to give a public thank you to Bob for helping me out in a
private email. It turns out that what actually happened is the valve key
I bought at Lowes got caught on the trim ring causing it to turn on the
wall. Once I found out that ring is just threaded onto the valve and is
removable, I was able to remove it, fit the key in and turn the valve.
The fireplace is working and my wife is very happy. I just need to find a
narrower key that will fit onto the valve and rotate within the trim ring.

Joe