How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line

   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line
  • Thread Starter
#41  
Very interesting thread.
Agreed. Much more to this than screwing in a new T and some pipe.

When this is complete, I might celebrate by going out and hooking up some propane pool heaters!! :)
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line #42  
Surprised to hear you have that engine running on propane. I have the same engine in a muscle car and it gets 4mpg .... but I don't drive it gently.
🥺😢😭 Gawd why did you have to mentioned muscle car. I was used car shopping when a salesman had me test drive a Fairlane 427 side oiler. Being a small block chevy fan I was looking at 65 and 66 Impalas which got good milage,long service and just enough uump to make you smile when you occasionally pressed hard on the go pedal. I was married, expecting a child and we were not comfortable having an infant in our 61 Implala convertable. I had no clue and oboviously the salesman knew even less about the Fairlane because if he had offered it any cheaper he would have been making payments for me. I couldn't help but bark the tires in all 4 gears and eventhough my wife had driven 3 on tree since before she had license,she would smoke-um in 1-2 & 3 . And of course there was the fuel milage like you mentioned. I soon traded it off for a 65 Chevy and was happy.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,until years later when I learned what the Fairlane actually was. Only twenty something were manufactured so only people like Jay Leo can afford to sit in one today,much less buy it. Even had i known,there was no way I could have afforded to keep it and buy something suitable for us to drive. Of course people tell me they would have kept and drove it but few people have drove a car of that caliber and how poor they behave on the street. In the short period we had it,my wife and I both were pulled over for showing out eventhough we were carful as possible. Ok,I have to stop crying and get back to the subject at hand.
Regarding the 426 Hemi on propane. It did well on fuel since it was manufactured to run at fixed rpm driving an irrigation pump. It would be a slug compared to street versions and even more so for one equipped for perfomance.
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line #43  
75 feet of 3/4 line definitely won’t support 355k btu if it’s at the typical supply pressure of 2-3 psi. If you can bump the supply pressure up it might work.
He said he has propane, that should be a5 10 psi
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line #44  
Neighbor bought a 10k duel fuel generator at Christmas and was unpacking it over the weekend.

He bought it because it is Propane rated and plans to use his small BBQ propane tank.

No doubt it will run on propane but I don't think it is going to work as planned.

I ran into problem at a small medical clinic where I maintained the natural gas generator for the medication refrigerators.

A tree damaged the utility meter and utility was replacing with a much smaller meter... and generator simply would not put out.

That was a long weekend as the nearest appropriate gas meter was in a service yard 100 miles away.

About the only time I have found existing homeowner service ok is when it was sized for large pool gas heater.

Very interesting thread.
Those small dual fuel can run off of a bbq tank, but not a bbq regulator. The gen kits generally have the proper sized regulator as part of the kit.
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line #45  
I have not. I did investigate BTU's. The spa heater required about 90,000 btu's. The generator requires about half of that. I don't know how to evaluate that any further.

I do have access to a manometer and there is a manometer port on the generator.
A 45,000 btu generator ? That would be tiny. If you get the spec sheet from the generator in gallons or btu I can size it. Also need how many feet from 2nd stage regulator. But my .02 I would hire someone that is insured. California does require a G36 license for any related work valued at over $500. with length of pipe needed and btu we can size anything.
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line
  • Thread Starter
#46  
I appreciate all the helpful replies.

The generator is 142 cu ft per hour, 3.9 gph, 10-12 in water column. So would that be 355,000 btu? Let's call is 70 feet from main tank to generator supply, to add some footage for turning pipe down then back up. The regulator (2nd stage) is right at the location where it comes up out of the ground, about 5 feet from where the generator will sit.

Some suggested a new, dedicated regulator for the genset. This would be where the 3/4" comes up out of the ground into a T. If that is done, the existing regulator is in place for the pipe in the other direction-- going to a water heater 15 feet away. I don't have the btu's handy, but its a typical 40 gal gas water heater.

I don't know how you set line pressure. Does the propane company do that? Obviously, if increasing the line pressure makes running the genset possible, that is hugely more attractive than trenching!! :D
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line
  • Thread Starter
#47  
California does require a G36 license for any related work valued at over $500.
At this point I may DIY, or may hire it out. I *do* want to identify everything needed end-to-end. Then I can choose whether to proceed or hire out.
 
Last edited:
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line
  • Thread Starter
#48  
drove a car of that caliber and how poor they behave on the street.
It's wonderful pressing the gas while going straight. It's when you want to turn or stop that difficulties begin to arise! (at least my car has the optional front disc brakes...) :D
 
   / How to tap into propane (iron pipe) line #49  
I appreciate all the helpful replies.

The generator is 142 cu ft per hour, 3.9 gph, 10-12 in water column. So would that be 355,000 btu? Let's call is 70 feet from main tank to generator supply, to add some footage for turning pipe down then back up. The regulator (2nd stage) is right at the location where it comes up out of the ground, about 5 feet from where the generator will sit.

Some suggested a new, dedicated regulator for the genset. This would be where the 3/4" comes up out of the ground into a T. If that is done, the existing regulator is in place for the pipe in the other direction-- going to a water heater 15 feet away. I don't have the btu's handy, but its a typical 40 gal gas water heater.

I don't know how you set line pressure. Does the propane company do that? Obviously, if increasing the line pressure makes running the genset possible, that is hugely more attractive than trenching!! :D
If you have propane, and only a single water heater hooked to it, you may not even need a new regulator. Your propane company can determine how many btu that regulator can handle. If i am not mistaking, you have propane, so i really doubt youll need to trench back to tank.
 

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