Gas valve behind appliance

@mwilles @escanlan
My understanding regarding fuel shutoff valve specifically for the gas supply of a free standing range is that it is acceptable to install the valve directly behind the appliance rather than off to the side in say, a cabinet such as often seen. Is my understanding correct?
My reference is: IRC Section G2420.5.1 (409.5.1) Located within same room

That’s where they all are in Maryland. Behind the appliance.

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That’s why we install anti-tip brackets, to prevent the appliance from being able to be pushed back too far and damage the appliance connector… (or not) :wink:

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IMO, that is a BAD idea…



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Around here, most have been installed in an adjacent cabinet for the last couple of decades.

Back story to my request for confirmation…
I inspected a new build for a client last year, did not call out the valve behind the range (because it is not wrong) but informed him of the location for future reference. He is now selling the home & the buyers highly trained (420 hours of online classes) reported on a missing valve with 6 ft. The buyer, not knowing any different, wants this fixed. My past (now seller) client inquired about the validity of the other inspector’s claim which I debunked…then of course just wanted to double check myself.

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I also would call that out every time… and did… as in my photos above!!

But that wasn’t the case. The valve was directly behind the appliance, well with 6 ft. The “other guy” opened the cabinets to the left & right of the range & didn’t see a gas valve in them so assumed there wasn’t one within 6 ft.

To your point JJ, yes, always report on valves further than 6 ft of the appliance, valves not in the same room, appliance connectors passing through walls, and valves or connectors subject to damage.
Speaking of subject to damage, I have been encountering a rash of poor placement of the connectors in cabinets with drawers below a cooktop. Back of the drawer impacting the appliance connector. (Yes, I report it)

For clarification, when I said “valve off to the side in cabinet” I meant, hard pipe like pictured.

The cabinet location is a bad spot. I’ve gone to bat on this point, and won.

The accessible valve is not to shut gas to the appliance, it’s for servicing the appliance.

Placing the shutoff valve in the cabinet makes it less accessible when owner goods are stored in the cabinet. Placing the shutoff in the cabinet makes for a pinch point when the stove is slid back. Placing the shutoff in the cabinet makes for a big space behind the range, and associated risks to persons retrieving such objects.


In short: IRC Section G2420.5.1 is interpreted by some for cabinet installations, that’s not a good choice.

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Or you can have this.


Valve is in the next room. Wrong by the code, but what are you going to do?

Little point in calling that out.

Yes it is allowed behind the range.

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That is correct. I’ve installed hundreds if not thousands of gas valves behind stoves.

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Thank you!

T[quote=“mwilles, post:12, topic:208652, full:true”]

That is correct. I’ve installed hundreds if not thousands of gas valves behind stoves.
[/quote]

Thanks for the confirmation.

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