Gas meter outlet is too small - what can I do?

notaplumber1

I'm in the middle of a big landscaping project, and my plumber was having a hard time getting the permit approved for the gas going to the bbq and firepit. After 3 months of the permit getting rejected, I started looking into it myself. The permit kept getting rejected because the line from the gas meter to the first T was only 1 1/4 inch, and because it's 465 BTU total for the whole house and 98 feet to the furthest appliance, a 1 1/2 inch line was needed. But that line to the first T is actually the stub from the new gas meter which I paid the utility company for, but hasn't been installed yet. The stub (and the outlet of the meter) is only 1 1/4 inch. With this meter, it can't be any wider!

So, is my project impossible to do as planned? The gas utility person emailed the inspector, but hasn't gotten a response yet. Are there gas meters with a wider outlet? I googled this and can't find any information. Is there something I'm missing? I feel like I'm getting a crash course in plumbing! Thanks in advance for any help!

Jamie Hall

A gas meter -- and service -- has a designed maximum BTU load. Yours's isn't big enough for your load.. You need to have the gas company upgrade the service.

Zman

How long is the section of 1 1/4" in question?
What size (CFH) is the proposed meter?
The size of the piping in the house will not necessarily match the meter piping size. It has as much to do with the length of the run as the size of the pipe.

EBEBRATT-Ed

The gas pipe size on the outlet has nothing to do with the meter capacity. The meter pipe size is frequently smaller than the pipe you run to the appliances.

If you look at the meter it should have the maximum capacity marked on it. This is an issue for the gas company to fix.

It's up to the gas company to prove and satisfy the inspector that:

The can supply the needed gas load

That the meter is large enough for the load

Then it's up to the plumber to size the gas line and connect it to the meter.

mattmia2

The plumber should have some pressure drop calculations that include the drop of that short section of 1.25" pipe. If you plan the system with the drop in that section accounted for, you should have no problem supplying the required pressure at the appliances.

notaplumber1

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments. I finally heard back from the inspector this morning, and it's like you all said - the 1.25" stub is no problem as long as the piping connected to it is the right size.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@notaplumber1

See why it's just so much fun dealing with the gas company, inspector, plumber etc. Sometimes you need a bulldozer to get them all on line LOL