gas inlet piping
Hi, what does the material of the inlet piping look like?
The gas company told me it is cooper. so it's no longer in compliance, and therefore they need to replace it with a new plastic line
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I don't see any copper there, it all looks like black iron pipe. The one fitting with the knurling looks odd though.
Are you sure they were talking about that piping specifically?
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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There might be copper in the basement.
Eather way……. What the gas company wants the gas company gets!
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a supervisor from their marketing who reviewed reconnection said, the pipe from the main to the meter is cooper, and should be replaced
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she was talking about the inlet pipe specifically, and said the piping downstream after the meter does not need to be replaced
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Is that funky knurled fitting a dielectric coupling?
Maybe that's a threaded copper pipe? Is there a such thing?
Does a magnet stick to this pipe? Other's that know more than me will chime in, but maybe this will help them. Perhaps they know something about your incoming line on the other side of that wall that you don't.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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I believe they’re claiming the inlet to the meter is copper we don’t have a picture of that
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cooper line changed to iron pipe just outside of the entrance?
not possible to snap a photo of the underground portion until the project starts and the front yard concrete is broken
if it turns out to be iron all along, this project would be a waste of money. installing a new header and the subsequent city inspection risks more compliance issues
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uncoated black iron is no longer allowed underground but it was used for decades. are they paying to renew the service or you? might ask for an explanation from their engineering if they want you to pay for it.
@ChrisJ not sure what that fitting is but i've seen them a lot on gas services. might be a compression fitting.
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carbon steel or wrought iron is the permitted pipe material, as i checked the fuel gas code.
does the pipe in my photo look like carbon steel?
the gas company pays for all costs up to the point of entrance. Home owner pays for a plumber (for permit and new header installation). Not sure if the DOB inspector of the new header will bring about new headaches
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black is fine inside the building. black underground must be coated now. in the past bare black iron was allowed. your service should be grandfathered unless there is some weird local regulation.
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Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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she didn't mention anything about coating. she just said the existing pipe is copper and they cannot reconnect a copper pipe to their main
so they need to replace the inlet pipe with a plastic pipe. the plastic pipe supports up to 1.1 million btu
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that sounds like underground piping.
here that’s your responsibility.Today it’s not that bad.
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If it's polyethylene (plastic) it doesn't need a coating.
You need to follow their instructions and we can't see what's on the other side of your foundation but I have a feeling you need to have the work done regardless.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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It's a wee bit cold out today.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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not for Real Techs!🤣
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I'll take this over a 130F attic any day, but, it's not as nice as a 40f day.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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could you clarify?
the underground piping is the gas company's responsibility?
the new header is the home owner's responsibility?
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Here the homeowner is responsible from the street shut off.
Each jurisdiction is different.
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I see.
she told me the home owner only pays for beyond the point of entrance, i.e. installation of the header
how much do you estimate the cost including everything from the main?
here for a master plumber to pull license (for filling gas load letter and permit), it will start from $2k
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We don't discuss pricing. That's a regional issue.
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another question is on the piping length.
the gas company told me the existing pipe is a 1” service that is 55’ in length according to their service records (so it's insufficient to carry the required load and need to be replaced with a new line)
However, the distance from the curb (gas main) to the wall (entrance) is 27' as I taped. The O.D of the pipe in the 2nd photo in post #1 is 2".
How is the pipe length determined regarding its BTU capacity?
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it is just the length of the pipe(either with the equivalent length of fittings added or many tables have an allowance for some number of fittings built in), but if the pressure of the main and service is more than the house, if there is a regulator at the meter that brings it to 7"wc then you need to use a table for that pressure or calculate it for that pressure rather than for 7" wc. typically mains are 2psig or more but it varies by utility and what infrastructure is in the street.
is there a regulator buried in the insulation somewhere or does that meter have a built in regulator?
1" iron pipe is about 1.25" od. 1.5" pipe is about 2" od.
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last time I didn't see a regulator before the meter. After the shutoff valve, the piping forms a loop then rises up and connects to the meter via a nipple and elbow
so 27' was converted to 55' using a table based on the main pressure.
but this pipe is likely a 1.5" IPS, not 1"
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I see no copper only steel in you pictures.
In most cases unless there is something unusual the Gas Co owns the pipe up to the meter and including the meter and the HO owns everything after the meter.
Sounds like a snow job.
Add up the btu load of all connected appliances and check the pipe size of the main coming out of the meter (not the meter connection size).
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the pipe after the meter is about 1" OD. The total btu is 255K.
the gas company's 1" x 55' referred to the line from their street main to the meter. They also said there is no need to do anything to the piping after the meter (only need to change the inlet pipe into plastic).
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Either way the pipe on the inlet belongs to the gas company. It's up to them when it needs replacement or not.
They are getting away from steel pipe especially to feed residential properties. Nothing for you to be concerned with it's their issue. If they say the piping inside the building is adequate, then your fine.
You might ask them if they are going to relocate the meter outdoors which is another change they usually do for safety reasons.
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Their replacing the inlet pipe requires the home owner to get a plumber to install a new header for the meter. Then it involves permit and inspection. Cost wise it is 3k plus, I'm not sure if the dob inspector would want to bring more into compliance. Currently two electric meters and the gas meter share the same cabinet. Many old townhomes have this kind of cabinet. Not sure if the city inspector would flag it as issue after the header is done, or flag other issues.
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If this is all in NYC, the first person I'd ask is @Mad Dog_2
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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Most all the plumbing/ mechanical code books refer to the NFPA 54 as their code, or a modification of it.
I'm not sure a meter can be enclosed in a non vented enclosure, or the regulator typically below the meter?
Check with the code official to see what code they use, what year version and download the section on gas meters.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream0
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