Natural Gas Pipe Sizing question

[CH4Ohio]

Thank you for explaining this. I didn't realize that there was this big of a difference between Propane and Natural gas.

You're welcome.

I probably shouldn't have said it's a different "completely". I was only referring to pipe sizing, BTU content, specific gravity. But in many respects, including the equipment and the national code that covers installations (NFPA-54) the principals and requirements are the same.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Thank you, this helps a lot. As of right now, I do not have Natural Gas to my house. It's in the ground near my house, but I'm a year, or maybe even two years away from digging the trench for them to install it.

The manifold is something that I see in new construction all the time with the yellow coated gas lines. I assumed something similar would be done with black iron pipe, but now I'm thinking that I've never actually seen a manifold for black iron pipe, just T's as it works it's way through the house.

According to Lowes, my BBQ puts out 32,000 BTU's They have some that go as high as 52,000 BTU's, but I'm not buying a new one right away, but if a sale comes along, who knows.

The cost of going with 3/4 pipe instead of half inch is about 25% more money, but not so much overall that it's prohibitive. From what I'm reading, I think that I should be fine installing the 3/4 inch pipe now and in a year or two, figuring out the rest of the system requirements.

There will be nothing else that comes off of this line, I just need to get it across the living room attc, out to the porch, before I lose access to the rafters. There isn't going to be a crawl space over my porch, so the only way to get into there will be by removing my cedar on the ceiling. I'll take pictures for the gas company to look at if they need to, but if they force the issue, I'll just abandon the pipe up there and stick with propane.

None of this will be in the ground. It will run though my attic, and down through my walls.

Thank you, I feel a lot better about this now.

I don't know the layout, so just asking . . . Would you be able to run an underground plastic house line from the eventual gas meter location to your patio / grill? If there are no structures in the way, that would be an easy solution and you wouldn't have to do all this work now for something that you're anticipating connecting in a year or more. Plus, I'd MUCH rather have a PE / plastic line run around the house than an inaccessible 60' run of iron pipe with collars and fittings in the attic and the walls.

I can say for certain that in most areas, you will not be able to pass an inspection on a new gas installation using pictures. It's just like a rough-in inspection for plumbing or electric. They'll want to do an actual visual of the entire line -- at least that would be the practice everywhere that I'm familiar with and that's what's required by code.

You can get these inspections done even though you're not ready for a meter and actual service. Just call them. Don't know how painful or easy the process is with your local gas company, but you're going to have to deal with it anyway, so might as well be sure you don't waste your pipe and effort.

Not sure if you're familiar with it or not, but running underground plastic is pretty simple and low-tech. You'll need to know what your gas company allows in the way of risers and fittings, but if they simply refer to the National Fuel Gas Code, it will go together easily and pretty cheap. Typically you'd have a riser on each end (meter and grill) and no joints in between to cause problems down the road.

Good luck with it. Nice ceiling!

 

[civilian]

At one point someone mentioned propane versus natural gas. When we moved from the other house which had natural gas, to the new house which has a propane tank, we had to change the orifices in the gas dryer and the stove burners and oven. Jon

 

[the old grind]

I have a regulator on my tank providing 2# psi on the run to the house ... The pipe from the regulator to the generator is 1-1/4" and about 6' long. ... I've had the gas company check pressures and delivery rates and it all works properly.

We've heard before that such a ~6' section of large dia pipe close to a genset will assist in giving it a strong 'shot' to get started. (ex: 2 psi system) This allows the rest of a supply to be smaller dia that's ok for full-on operation. Think of it as a local 'reservoir' that only works when you need it.

btw, I will never feed any two fixtures, gas/water/air, from a 1/2" line. If I tie into any 1/2" line I refit from there back to/in 3/4". That said, 3/4" isn't necessarily one's easy button. Love the charts.

 

[dstig1]

CH4 Ohio ....your screen name is Ohio Methane? There has to be a story there.... Prodigious bean eater or in the petrochem field?

 

[CH4Ohio]

Could refer to my favorite TV channel . . .

I admit to having some exposure to the gas utility industry in general and particularly East of the Mississippi. Plus I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night . . .