A flexible gas appliance connector is the ribbed, flexible pipe that is part of a gas appliance connection kit, and it is the last leg of the gas piping to the appliance. Here are the key requirements of both the building code and manufacturers regarding installation of this piping: 

1) Only one appliance connector of six feet or less in length can be used. Two appliance connectors should not be joined together.

2) An appliance connector should not be used for any appliance on rollers or casters.

3) Do not use an appliance connector to connect directly to an LP-gas tank, like in the photo below.

4) Appliance connectors are not approved for use in a moving vehicle, such as an RV or trailer. They are approved for manufactured housing (permanently installed mobile homes).

5) The appliance connector must be installed before the sediment trap, if there is one.

6) Do not reuse a gas connector. Use a new connector for an appliance replacement. The appliance connector below, for example, is older, corroded, and has been reused.

7) A shut-off valve must be installed before the gas connector. The photo below shows a shut-off valve incorrectly installed after the connector.

8) Gas appliance connectors should be used in accessible locations only, where the entire connector is readily visible. Do not conceal the connector or run it through walls, partitions, floors or appliance panels. The gas connector pipe runs inside a furnace cabinet in the photo below, which is not allowed.

    Also, the gas connectors come in diameters for low, medium, and high demand appliances. Make sure you get the right size to avoid restricting the appliance’s gas flow. The length of the connector for larger appliances may be restricted to three feet by the local building department.

    Here’s a more extensive list of the installation safety standards set by the manufacturer Dormont below.

    One final note: the gas appliance connector should not be installed where it can be easily damaged. In the photo below, the door to the utility room swings up against the appliance connector each time it is opened.

   See our blog posts Can you install a flexible gas appliance connector in an exterior location? and  ”How can I tell the difference between Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) and a Flexible Appliance Connector (FAC)?" for more on this subject. 

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about PLUMBING PIPES:

• How can I protect my pipes to keep them from bursting during a hard winter freeze in North Florida?

• Can galvanized steel pipe still be used for new water lines in a house? 

• How can I tell if I have cast iron pipes in my house? 

• Why can't a sanitary tee be used for a horizontal-to-horizontal drain pipe connection? 

• What is the difference between green and white sewer drain pipes?

• Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe?

• What are the abandoned pipes sticking out of the wall in my house?  

• What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations?

• What are the code requirements for layout of drain piping under sinks?

• What causes a gurgling sound when a bathtub or sink drains? 

• What is a "combination waste and vent" in a plumbing system? 

• What is a building trap?  

• What is a galvanized nipple?

• What are the pipes sticking out near my water valves?

• What's that powdery crust on the pipe connections at the water heater? 

• If all the plumbing drains have water in them and you can still smell sewer gas, what's causing the problem?  

• How can I find out what type of water pipe runs underground from the water meter to the house (service pipe)?

• What is a P-trap?

• Why is old galvanized steel water pipe a problem for homebuyers?

• What does polybutylene pipe look like? Why is it a problem? 

• Which water pipes are an insurance problem and possibly uninsurable?

• Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater?  

     Visit our PLUMBING page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. 

Photo of appliance connector to LP-gas tank - John Dirks Jr.