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gas inlet piping

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wayneb301
wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

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

IMG20260125231354.jpg IMG20260127232806.jpg

Comments

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162
    edited January 28

    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.

    cm6230
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,896
    edited January 28

    There might be copper in the basement.

    Eather way……. What the gas company wants the gas company gets!

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    a supervisor from their marketing who reviewed reconnection said, the pipe from the main to the meter is cooper, and should be replaced

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    she was talking about the inlet pipe specifically, and said the piping downstream after the meter does not need to be replaced

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162
    edited January 28

    Is that funky knurled fitting a dielectric coupling?

    Maybe that's a threaded copper pipe? Is there a such thing?

    @wayneb301

    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.

    Screenshot 2026-01-28 093358.png

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,896

    I believe they’re claiming the inlet to the meter is copper we don’t have a picture of that

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,050
    edited January 28

    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.

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,050

    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.

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

    mattmia2
  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,896

    that sounds like underground piping.
    here that’s your responsibility.

    Today it’s not that bad.

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162

    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.

    GGross
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162

    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.

    pecmsgGGross
  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    could you clarify?

    the underground piping is the gas company's responsibility?

    the new header is the home owner's responsibility?

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,896

    Here the homeowner is responsible from the street shut off.

    Each jurisdiction is different.

    mattmia2
  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14
    edited January 28

    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

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,896

    We don't discuss pricing. That's a regional issue.

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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?

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,050
    edited 3:13AM

    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.

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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"

    IMG20260127230620.jpg
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,908

    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).

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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).

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,908

    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.

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    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.

    IMG20260125231206.jpg
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,162

    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.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 27,087

    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.

    Screenshot 2026-01-29 at 9.07.28 AM.png Screenshot 2026-01-29 at 9.07.36 AM.png
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,050

    i don't think that meets the current working space requirements for electrical equipment that may be worked on while energized.

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14
    edited 8:16PM

    That's the concern, the city inspector might add more on the list, rather than focus only on the new header

  • wayneb301
    wayneb301 Member Posts: 14

    Where can I get a hold of a code official or dob inspector?

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,896

    local DOB.