Is a dielectric union what I need for a magnetic field on a gas pipe?

July 30, 2011

I have a furnace in the bedroom that runs on propane. The pipe runs from a

propane tank outdoors through the ground and up through the floor of the

bedroom. I am getting no reading on the electric scale of my trifield meter.

But I'm getting an extremely high reading on the magnetic scale. I've been

looking at dielectric unions at the suggestion of someone here. I'm wondering

if this is really what I need since I don't get any electrical reading but a

magnetic one. What could cause a magnetic field to be coming off the metal pipe

coming from the propane tank? Can someone explain this to me? Also, would I

need to wrap some mu metal around the pipe in order to stop this? Would a

dielectric union prevent the field from going further up the pipe if I put one

on the pipe somewhere? Thanks for any insight.

July 31, 2011

Magnetic field around the pipe means current running through

the pipe (or could mean external magnetic field attracted to steel

pipe, but in that case the field is mostly at the ends of the pipe).

If the tank is grounded then there is a current path from the

neutral of your electric to your ground wires to your appliances

back through the pipe to the tank to ground. Dielectric union

solves that. A normal gas meter has a dielectric union usually.

On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 8:05 PM, fantasticsam131 <

aliassmithandjones@...> wrote:

> **

>

> I have a furnace in the bedroom that runs on propane. The pipe runs from a

> propane tank outdoors through the ground and up through the floor of the

> bedroom. I am getting no reading on the electric scale of my trifield meter.

> But I'm getting an extremely high reading on the magnetic scale. I've been

> looking at dielectric unions at the suggestion of someone here. I'm

> wondering if this is really what I need since I don't get any electrical

> reading but a magnetic one. What could cause a magnetic field to be coming

> off the metal pipe coming from the propane tank? Can someone explain this to

> me? Also, would I need to wrap some mu metal around the pipe in order to

> stop this? Would a dielectric union prevent the field from going further up

> the pipe if I put one on the pipe somewhere? Thanks for any insight.

>

July 31, 2011

I grounded the tank recently to a ground rod since I was achoring the tank with

metal cables into cement. They told us to do that in case we got flooded by the

Missouri river. They float. I noticed it felt different after I grounded it.

I'm getting a 15 reading on my trifield on the magnetic scale. I did not put a

dielectric union on it since I don't know how to solder. The pipe from the tank

is copper and it connects to a galvanized pipe near the house. After reading a

site which home inspectors talk to each other on I connected a shark bite

fitting between the copper pipe and the galvanized pipe since they said the

shark bite is nearly the same as a dielectric union and doesn't pass the

current. Still no change. Still got a 15 reading. I also put a torrid which

fits snugly over a 3.4 to 1/2 inch reducer to the pipe that goes under the

bedrrom and up through the floor to the wall furnace. It feels different in the

room. Everything feels a lot more peaceful in mymind. You know, real quiet

inside my head which is really good. But the magnetic field remains. I've been

working on that room this weekend. My fuse box is in that room on an opposite

wall. I've put up more mu metal on the fuse box and also more steel on the wall

on top of the mu metal. I read that even aluminum if you put enough of it on

the wall so that it is thick will reduce a magnetic field. It does reduce it

somewhat. I may have to hire someone to put in a dielectric union to see if

that makes any difference.

>

> > **

> >

> > I have a furnace in the bedroom that runs on propane. The pipe runs from a

> > propane tank outdoors through the ground and up through the floor of the

> > bedroom. I am getting no reading on the electric scale of my trifield meter.

> > But I'm getting an extremely high reading on the magnetic scale. I've been

> > looking at dielectric unions at the suggestion of someone here. I'm

> > wondering if this is really what I need since I don't get any electrical

> > reading but a magnetic one. What could cause a magnetic field to be coming

> > off the metal pipe coming from the propane tank? Can someone explain this to

> > me? Also, would I need to wrap some mu metal around the pipe in order to

> > stop this? Would a dielectric union prevent the field from going further up

> > the pipe if I put one on the pipe somewhere? Thanks for any insight.

> >

>

July 31, 2011

I undid the cable that was wrapped around one leg of the propane tank and was

connected to the grounding rod. It brought the reading down to about 4 on the

end of the pipe whee it connects to my furnace. Under the house I was getting a

reading of 25 before i undid the cable. If I have someone come out and put on

that dielectric union do you suppose it will drop the reading down even farther?