Underground gas line help?

[scottie]

get the guy with the license and liability ins to do it. much cheaper in the long run.been doing this for years, and wouldnt trust an unlicensed install. Scottie

 

[tulenutn2o]

As long as you leak check and are ok with your work. I say don't get taken just because a guy has a license(tax stamp). Just a revenue generator. It is not rocket science ,nor is it hard to do. Just be more careful since it is combustible gas. Trench, put your line together and leak check before putting it under, cover it up and be done.

 

[AHNC]

I'm going to be doing the same with new water, power and gas services to my house in a common trench. If you run this line in copper, I would suggest that you use the coated copper. It is still flexible and the protective coating is good. The poly pipe is commonly used for underground gas nationwide. Flare connections, when properly done, are excellent, but you have to have a good flaring tool, deburr the pipe and make a good flare. As a rep in the gas, P/H, HVAC business it is the biggest installation error I see.

Whether you do this yourself, and it isn't rocket science, or have a contractor do it I would suggest that you install CO detectors and if you have a basement , a combustible gas detector. I'm in the gas business, very comfortable with it, and would not have a home without them. Cheap insurance.

Given the issues you've all ready had, and the proximity of the other piping, I'd have a properly equipped contractor or the gas company come in and knock this thing out.

 

[varmint]

When I had put this stuff in about 10 years ago, I was too cheap to put it in a conduit, or casing, and looks like it bit me. I will have to have one joint in the middle (120' of tube, and it comes in 60' coils) so I plan on silver soldering a coupling. I am going to pull it thru a 2" PVC schedule 40 conduit. I checked on the coated tube, but it will cost more than twice what I can get the regular type L tube for. I sort of know what happened- we had a serious road compactor go back and forth over the gravel drive, which was nice for the drive, but probably bad for the copper in the ground. If I had just buried it in sand....

When they pressure tested the old line, it started at 120 psi but went down fast. I watched them do it several times, trying to isolate the section of tube that was bad. Couldn't find the leak. I need to have one 90 degree bend in the trench, so I am planning on using two 45's to make the pull easier.
I will get a price from the gas company guy, but I think I know where that will take me.

 

[Egon]

Please remember that pulling a copper pipe through a conduit will create a nice spot for propane to accumulate if there is a leak.

 

[johnk]

If it doesn't leak at low pressure and leaks when more pressure is added I'd have to say it is leaking at a fitting. If it is solid underground I'd use a leakk detector solution or a soapy water mix at all your fittings including the gauges hooked up for the test. On plastic gas lines the ends are called pre-bent risers with a pigtail of plastic on one end with a stab joint similar to chinese fingers and on the other end above ground is redular pipe thread to connect to. A regular service line is tested at 100 PSI for 10 minutes. They usually have a max of 32#'s gas pressure on a mediun pressure main. Also if you run plastic any distance underground you should lay a tracer wire 10 ga or so in the ditch with the plastic so it can be picked up with equipment so you know where the plastic is. It should be attached to the metak end by your tank and th the end above ground where it comes out to your equipment. Hope this helps.

 

[Qapla]

Around here the plastic line they use for GAS is yellow. Make sure however you do it, you check your local code. It is always best to follow the code if it is done by you our a company (yes, some companies don't follow code).

One thing to keep in mind ... if you do use plastic, bury a wire along the run of the pipe. This is done as a way to locate the pipe in the future. The locator signal is sent down the wire. This is required here when gas line is buried. The wire does not have to be connected to anything on either end when you burry it, just make it's long enough that you don't have to dig it up to find it.

 

[rjkobbeman]

Please remember that pulling a copper pipe through a conduit will create a nice spot for propane to accumulate if there is a leak.

Yup. I ran big conduit through a BIG creek at my place for the power. Saved me lots of coin. While I was trenching (with a big track hoe), I asked if I could put a second conduit in the trench for the gas line. Their answer was 'no', for the very reason you state.

Gas was a lot cheaper to run... so it probably wouldn't have saved me much anyway.

 

[MacLawn]

Yup. I ran big conduit through a BIG creek at my place for the power. Saved me lots of coin. While I was trenching (with a big track hoe), I asked if I could put a second conduit in the trench for the gas line. Their answer was 'no', for the very reason you state.

That is very interesting! I like using conduit, but would probably not have thought of the potential gas accumulation issue - man, that could be dangerous! Now, I know to avoid conduit when I run a gas line...

 

[LBrown59]

You used plastic for a gas line? Never heard of that...

I've had plastic since 66.
Never had a line rust out since.