Frozen Gas Meter

Wayco Wayne_2

the 2nd time I've seen this happen. I just finished piping in a panel on an existing boiler in an old neighborhood, and they called up the next day with no heat. It's really cold here in DC. 3 degrees in the morning whre I live. I ran over to find the gas pressure dropping from 7 inches with the boiler off, to 2 inches when the boiler gas valve opened. I had a similar problem years ago only 3 blocks from this customer where the old gas meters can freeze up in really cold temps and not allow gas to flow. Called the gas utility and had them replace the meter. All beter now. WW

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Ray_7

In talking to some gas co. employees in Cleveland, they experience water in the gas lines outside, which in turn freezes. Then the homeowner has to have a new line installed. It also seems like that unlucky person is towards the end of the line of the street.

S Davis

I had the same thing happen in Lake Tahoe,the gas line would freeze at nite the people would call with no heat and by the time we would get there it would be thawed.
it was a standing pilot wall heater and pilot would go out, it took a while to figure out we thought it was just a pilot problem.

S Davis

tim smith_2

freezing gas meters

Back 10 or 15 years ago we would get meters freezing on low pressure gas meter sets, the utility would just have us pour warm water over the meter and this would thaw the meter for the time being until utility could come and drain moisture from the meter. Does not take much moisture and they will freeze up. Tim

tim smith_2

[Deleted User]

i work eastern clvd suburbs

and have had two calls in last two weeks with boilers running on ''low flame''....found water in piping on both..one inside meter and one outside..the outside meter guy has been informed by his neighbors that this is a regular problem on his street as the gas utility never installed drips for that street..the other one they are tearing up the entire street as i type and replacing their main pipe...i love old cities...good for work..

Unknown

Frozen Meters and Regulators solution

is to make sure they are sheltered from prevailing winds and not buried in snow or ice. One of the fastest ways to thaw them out is with a hair dryer.

As for moisture in the gas line causing freezing. Cut in a drip leg somewhere before the meter make it 12 to 18 inches long, fill it with methanol. This will keep the equipment from freezing and will not hurt equipment as the methanol vaporizes and is very flammable.

Our friends in the LP industry put methanol in with their LP all the time.

Unknown

Timmie, say what?

Who are you telling to cut in piping before the gas meter?

The gas company I worked for frowned on people doing that. They would rather do it them selves.

Or fix the leaks in the buried low pressure lines to get the water that leaks IN stopped.

Gas is delivered off the pipeline dry. The water comes in through the local distribution system. High pressure mains don't take in water. Old, low pressure stuff does, and the gas company ought to keep up with pumping the drips before the water ever gets to a meter.

Sorry, folks, but don't touch the piping before the meter.

Noel

Unknown

Gas Company will not

do much any more except shut things off and red tag them.

If there is a shut off ahead of the meter any liscensed contractor with a Master Pipefitter or Master Gas Liscense can cut in said drip.

I do not think I said anything about repairing water leaks and water gets into gas lines from a lot of different ways. One of which is gas lines coming in from outdoors into a building and then passing back out of the building up to the roof. The changing of temperature causes condensation and it freezes at the rooftop. there are many others which methanol can fix. Many of our gas lines here in Rhode Island have drips in place already.