Sound like great ideas.
Run them past your local building inspector's office.
They have tons of real life experience to offer.

Hey thanks for the reply laat2, which one is a great idea? Remove the service panel? Or turn the valve 90 degrees into the drywall? Thanks.

Edit: I mis-read it. Thanks, I'll run them both by building inspectors.

This post was edited by eeecarus on Mon, Feb 4, 13 at 16:55

Removal of the the back panel will, in my opinion, void your warranty.

To wit: Items excluded from warranty 3. Repairs when your major appliance is used for other than normal, single-family household use or when it is used in a manner that is contrary to published user or operator instructions and/or installation instructions.

Weiss - sorry I didn't make it clear, I'm having problem pushing the range in with the piece of granite on the back sized according to installation manual.

Doc - thanks, although I think it's impossible for them to tell I removed the panel. It's only screwed down by two screws and no warranty stickers.

I would not remove the panel. It may be a safety item. That is, it prevents excess heat from the back from burning down your house.

Your second option of cutting the drywall and running the pipe downward seems a much better option.

Ditto about the panel - I would worry about a fire hazard either because heat escapes or dust enters into the interior of the appliance.

Bad news for me, after cutting the drywall, I realized I can't just turn the el pipe 90 degrees... any suggestions?

Disclaimer: I'm not a plumber or gas fitter and would not DIY a gas line.

You could disconnect everything to the right of the stud, rotate the elbow so it points down, then add pipe to get the valve to the right height. The fittings and pre-cut pipe are available at stores.

Now that the line is visible, you should be able to get a better estimate on having a pro do the work.

It would make me nervous to see electrical lines without their outer insulation wrapping that close to a gas line.

Thank you guys. I hired a plumber to do the work! It made me too nervous to do this myself.