Gas Latern Plumbing

wwpayne

Retro fitting 2 gas laterns at front door. Better idea for 3/8 inch CSST from basement (10 Foot run) through wall cavity to each latern then reduce down to 1/4 inch outside brick face or just run 1/4 inch Copper L with flares on each end? Appreciate any toughts.

pecmsg

What does the local jurisdiction having authority say is allowed?

mattmia2

the local code and gas composition will dictate if/where you can use copper. Remember it has to be flare or brazed if it is allowed.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Some gas utilities won't allow copper for natural gas. For propane it is ok. Some chemical in the natural that doesn't like copper (supposedly) can't remember the name.

hot_rod

I’m not sure how you could determine the gas content, maybe call the gas utility?

Coated CSST may be simpler with. The proper transition fitting

Larry Weingarten

Hi, Around here mercaptan is used as an odorant. Here's a link: https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Mercaptan I understand it's also corrosive to copper, and have seen copper in gas service develop quantities of dark grey flakes. Any possibility of running small steel pipe?

Yours, Larry

ps. From: https://www.arab-oil-naturalgas.com/the-effects-of-mercaptans-on-various-metals/#google_vignette COPPER ALLOYS
Copper alloys typically are considered incompatible with mercaptans. It is probable, however, that the corrosivity of the mercaptan will vary both with moisture content and the particular alloy. It is common knowledge that “tarnishing” of copper hardware stems from traces of H2S in the atmosphere.
In a humid atmosphere in the simultaneous presence of H2S, however, copper is severely corroded—with the simultaneous formation of a thick, nonprotective copper sulfide (CuS) film. Yellow brass, however, can form a tightly adherent quasi-protective film.

EdTheHeaterMan

Back in the day, I did some barbeque and gas lamp work for the gas company in Cape May County, NJ. They paid a flat rate for the jobs. Now let's step back a few years, before I got those contracts, the Gas Company would inspect the boiler or furnace gas pipe before they would hang a new meter. If you used the existing LP Gas “copper” house lines, they would turn down the job, hand you a red tag and not hang the meter.

So I would get my pipe threader and install steel pipe and malleable fittings from the meter location to the appliances. It was the way it is supposed to be done.

Back to the Gas Lamps, the flat rate for those installs would barely cover the cost of the steel or galvanized pipe (outside needed galv.) nevermind threading and labor to put it all together. So I asked the salesman from the gas company "How were we supposed to make any money on these jobs?" He told me to use copper tubing, no threading and you only need fittings on either end, no elbows, no 45s, just forged flare nuts. Go figure. The gas company says NO COPPER for my work... BUT copper is fine to keep the jobs they sell under budget.

How important is the rule if they can break it at their convenience?

hot_rod

Same odorant used in LP gas and those systems are commonly copper tube. Both inside and outside piping?

EBEBRATT-Ed

I have been told that the corrosion problem with natural gas and copper is "probably" a non issue but @Larry Weingarten has the documentation. I trust copper more than CSST.

Funny MA has never allowed galvanized for gas. They adopt NFPA 54 and then write there own amendments. Outdoors we use black and paint it.