Low Inlet Pressure to Hayward 400K natural gas heater

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Good point on sizing - this Hayward is about twice the size of my last heater in Virginia :)

Lean - oh yeah - reminds me of getting side draft Webers (and intake manifold) for a formerly downdraft engine, then finding out the stock fuel pump just wasn't hacking it ... fun, but lots of unnecessary "investing."
 
About 50’.

Supposed to have higher capacity meter installed next week.

Wont be able to measure till next week, but urn pipe has 3/4” stamped on it … the header portion at ground level obviously larger, but it just connects to plastic gas pipe, right?
 

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I think the gray pipe into the ground is a meter riser - gray painted and surface is smooth. It is, as you can tell from photos at least 1/4” larger outside diameter than the galvanized pipe above it - so it is as least 1”.

I suspect the sidewall is thinner than galvanized pipe?

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Update time!

Larger meter just installed - Honeywell AL-425 (see photos)

- richest outlet I could get it was 1.64 (see photos). As before, I could adjust down, but 1.64 was the richest I could get it.
- static inlet pressure was 9.37, running inlet pressure was 2.75.

So, better, but not right.

Options?
- go to 2 pounds
- tear up risers and underground pipe and go to larger diameter pipe
- live with 1.64" WC'

Added new photos of meters, install, etc.

Gas company believes it is the pipe size between the meter and the heater.
 

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OK - so, looking for small things to get volume up.

The inlet riser at the heater is 1 1/2" outer diameter (thinner wall, too), and then reduces to about 1" OD, and the galvanized pipe standard 3/4". The valve is also 3/4". The stub pipe feeding the gas valve is 3/4'.

In the category of "what it" and "things I can do that don't entail digging up the yard" - what if I replaced the pipe assembly from the top of the riser with 1" galvanized, and replaced the valve with 1" valve with reduction to 3/4" into the casing?

James - when you say compromised ... I don't smell anything, and during no heater season, I have only a tankless water heater and it uses almost nothing ...
 
I think that you need a bigger pipe or you can go to 2 psi and add a second regulator next to the heater.

How much trouble would it be to run a new pipe?

How old is the existing pipe?
 
stephenson said:
Gas company believes it is the pipe size between the meter and the heater.
Click to expand...
If the pipe is old, then it might be best to replace it to make sure that it is in good condition.

You can see about going to 2 Psi if the local contractor can do that for you.

Check with a qualified gas contractor to see what they advise.
 
Pool is three years old - plumbing installed same time as pool.

Did some reading, but not sure I understand, yet.

Will the normal supply line from the street (relatively new neighborhood) supply at 2 psi? If so, then it can be regulated to 1/3 psi for the main home (after the meter), and T'd off at 2 psi (after meter) for the pool supply line, then regulated at the pool heater? Eliminates regulators at the water heater, but still allows 2 psi at the pool heater.

So, broadly, I am weighing the cost vs the utility of having it right ... sure, 1.65 isn't 1.8, but is "only" 8% or so off ... could cause some lean effects in the heater, but ... at what cost vs the cost of digging up pipe, etc. Might be cheaper to wait for the heater to fail (how many years?) then replace it with a 200K Btu heater :)
 
The output of the meter is higher than the requirements for the appliances; that's why there is a regulator after the meter.

You should be able to run a line from after the meter but before the regulator to supply what is probably 2 psi to the heater and put a second regulator near the heater.

Check with a qualified gas contractor to see what they advise.

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So, the local gas company COULD have run a T off where you show and provided 2 psi to the heater, and I could get a regulator installed there - problem solved?

Or, does it require a different meter, and a different regulator prior to the meter?

I'm trying to get smarter so I can make an informed decision - I don't want to dig up the line if I don't have to.
 

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