Options for increasing gas pressure without using local gas company

Smoothoperator68

I installed a new tankless water heater, which is underpreforming . Everyone attributes my problem to not enough gas pressure. Is there an alternative to boosting gas pressure without upgrading my meter for $2,300 with DTE.

jesmed1

Has anyone actually measured the gas pressure? What were the results of their measurements?

If no one has measured the pressure, they're all assuming. There could be several other reasons why the water heater is underperforming.

GGross

Ask everyone who is diagnosing gas pressure to to tell you the pressure values they measured at the unit. Check incoming at the units gas valve, static, at ignition, high fire, and lockup. 4 values needed. If the gas pressure is deemed insufficient generally it is a gas pipe sizing issue and not a maxed out meter but without a bunch more info I wouldn't know that, and either way you need to actually know those 4 values to diagnose a gas pressure issue. If you have someone else do it either write down or take a photo of the manometer for each value, do not just accept an answer of "the gas pressure is good" or "bad" you need to actually measure it and record the values

EBEBRATT-Ed

If it is a gas pressure there is no other way to increase it unless the utility says their changes can fix the issue.

They do make gas booster pumps for large jobs but they are very expensive and cost prohibitive for a house.

Larry Weingarten

I'll add that with a tankless heaters, one of the most common problems is the gas line supplying it is undersized. Often the same 1/2" line that supplied the tank-type heater (which used to be there), is used for the tankless, and it just can't work. Do you have a 3/4" line all the way from the meter to the new heater?

Yours, Larry

mikedo

did the person who installed it verify that the gas pressure and meter were big enough before the conversion. i would think they should be responsible for correcting it

tim smith

What was there before? Has anyone verified that gas line is big enough from meter to appliance. It still may have undersized meter. Too often companies come in and replace a 40,000 or 50,000 btu water heater with 150,000 - 199,000 btu on demand without upsizing gas line that was never intended to feed the new much larger gas supply need. Just .02 worth.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

The on-demand manufacturers are partly to blame for undersized gas lines.

mattmia2

What did your pressure drop calculations show?

mattmia2

Also, in michigan most municipal water is around 35 f in winter so you need to size the unit for about a 90 f rise.