Running a gas line

[sdquick]

So, I am in the middle of running a gas line (with a few neighbors) to our home. Here are some of my thoughts and numbers. Your numbers will, of course, be different. But for what it is worth...
I ran a bunch of calculations with the cost of propane per gallon and delivery over the last three years. Called the Gas company and got the charge (per therm). I had to convert BTU/Gal and Therm/gal to come up with equivalent energy cost. Gas company charges $10 per month for service and my total propane delivery charges averaged $9.60 per month over the last three years. So then I calculated energy cost. For me it is about a 4 to 5 year payback plus I think the value of the home increases to potential buyers down the road.
Access: You need to check to make sure if the line you are thinking of is a supply line or a transfer line. There is a line close to us that is a transfer line that can not be tapped into. We had to get to a supply line much further away.

Main Line Cost: They will charge you for the 200 foot main line, but for each of us that went into the line we got a $1968 credit toward the main line. There might be something similar with your gas company to cover or help with the main line cost.

Options: #1 - Our gas company gave three options for the residential line (from the main line). First: a lot set meter. They would set the meter ($150 for the meter & pressure valve in all cases) on the lot. Advantage is that you can dig and lay your own pipe as you said (in our case a licensed plumber needs to do the connections and pressure test). Disadvantage is that there is a significant pressure drop after the meter. That is why you are hearing about running huge (expensive) pipes (if it is even possible) to go the distance (1000') that you want. Another disadvantage is that if there is an issue after the meter with the line it is your problem to pay for the leak and the repair. The pressure valve is supposed to shut off if there is a major leak, but...

#2 - Run the meter to your house, you dig the ditch and cover it after the pipe is put in. Advantage: High pressure right to the house, Gas line owns the line and any future problems. Disadvantage: cost is $16.50 / ft ($16,500 for 1000') by the way our main line run was long and expensive, our residential run was only ~200 feet.

#3 - Same as #2 except the Gas company does everything (digs, pipe, fill). Advantage is the same as 2 plus no work. Disadvantage is cost. $32.50 per foot (32,500 for 1000')

Hope it helps.

 

[RalphVa]

Bet it would be A LOT cheaper to use a heat pump. Certainly, the operating cost will be lower. Capital cost may be competitive with putting in a gas line, heater, etc.

Ralph

 

[bdog]

We explored heat pumps and may get one in addition to the gas but the advice we were given is they heat too slowly. The pool builder said if you want to warm up the pool to swim on a Saturday you might need to turn it on on Wednesday. Same with the hot tub it could take hours to heat up.

We don't plan to continually heat the pool mainly when we want too use it but the hot tub is a different story. I can see us wanting to turn it on an use it on short notice.

 

[sodamo]

Be in Texas, sunny I suspect, have you looked at solar?

 

[joeu235]

My main concern with the propane tank is running out when least expected. Our house is all electric so this is just for the backyard but the pool/hot tub have a 400k btu heater, we will have a gas fire pit, fire bowls, etc. I think we will empty the tank fairly quickly during peak times.


I may be mistaken but I think natural gas is a lot cheaper than propane too? The trenching I can do myself I have a skid steer mounted trencher and it is easy digging. No rocks here. Heck my neighbor has dug down a low spot on his property to increase runoff storage capacity and reduce flooding fifty feet deep and hasn稚 hit a rock yet. The pipe will cost me about $1000.

I have not crunched the numbers yet but my pool guy said he has installed a lot of both propane and natural gas and if we can get the gas setup for under 5k we would be money ahead doing so.

I believe I live near you. I have solid black clay 40 feet deep without a rock around.

 

[bb770]

See if the gas company will supply 2psi. Then you can run a much smaller line. Use a regulator at the heater to knock the 2psi to inches.

 

[ultrarunner]

At work we have a medium pressure line... it was approved in the plans but was problem to get.

The advantage is much smaller pipes to the 18 package units and Built Up unit.

Without a "Medium" pressure service it would have been MUCH more expensive on the plumbing side... the regulators were cheap by comparison.

 

[grsthegreat]

man, at 1,000 ft i would definitely use propane instead. when i had a customer wanting a generator placed 300 feet from house, the gas needed to supply a 350,000 btu generator at 1/2psi pressure was requiring a 2" poly pipe. The gas company would not allow a second meter on his property. I'm not sure if he looked into switching out to a 2# supply or not. He went the rental propane tank method instead as the other options became very expensive. On top of the pipe, the required 24' burial and imported fill as the ground is nothing but rock, and the fact that utility company told him the meter was too small. things just kept adding up.

i dont know the btu from a pool heater

 

[Wilco]

Why not just buy a 500gal UG propane tank? If you buy your own (Here they're about $1250) you can shop propane companys to fill it. That pool heater will burn just over 4 gallons an hour alone. When I did propane hook-ups for pool heater it seemed after 2-3 yrs I'd be going back to pick-up the equipment once people realized the cost to run these things.