400K BTU Gas Heater - Need Help with Meter Upgrade

[JoyfulNoise]

Two thoughts to consider when talking to the gas installer -

1. High pressure (2psi) means having regulators at the equipment pad and the house line. Regulators can fail. So make sure that you’re ok with the cost of adding the regulator as well as the quality of them. Cheap regulators abound and you’d rather not have to replace them if you can avoid it.

2. Check building codes or ask the plumber what the building codes are for buried gas lines. Some municipalities do not allow high pressure lines to be buried while others don’t care. We went with low pressure because high pressure lines can’t be buried and there was no way to get to the equipment pad from our gas supply using above ground piping.

The gas installer should know the answers to all those questions. Just make sure you get the answers from them.

 

[JamesW]

I can ask them about the 630 meter but should I expect the ‘sales rep’ to know what a 630 class meter is?

You need a gas permit for the installation and that requires a licensed gas contractor to apply for the permit.

As far as a 2 psi system, I do not think that there are any restrictions on having it below grade.

At this point, you have to talk to the licensed gas contractor and see what they want to do.

The gas company needs to decide on the gas meter size and they can do 7” or 2 psi, which is controlled by the regulator.

 

[JamesW]

The best default choice would be to use 7" service with a 630 class meter and 1.5" plumbing from the meter to the heater.

The licensed gas contractor needs to be responsible for the choices and they need to be responsible for the installation of the gas line.

The line has to be inspected and pass inspection before it is covered.

You can use 1.25" up to 100 feet total equivalent length.

You can use 1.5" up to 200 feet total equivalent length.

1.25" 90s are counted as equivalent to 3.45 feet of straight pipe.

1.5" 90s are counted as equivalent to 4.02 feet of straight pipe.

For example, a 35 foot distance with 5 feet of vertical pipe and (6) 90s is equivalent to 35 + 5 + (6 x 4.02) = 64 feet total equivalent length.

1.5" is safer if there is any doubt or if you might want to move the equipment pad farther away.

Take a lot of pictures of all plumbing before covering it and figure out a way to provide triangulation of reference points for later reference.

For example, if you measure to the ends of straight pipe, you can physically locate the pipes later when they are covered.

In the below case, you would have 4 reference points.

 

[tommelton]

100% with James here. To me - it was a two step process. Step 1 was to verify what my gas supplier could supply in way of meter and pressures. Step 2 was to find a licensed gas plumber that could do what I wanted and needed - which again was a run thru our basement ceiling (unfinished). There was no way to go around the house to the equipment pad. I also did not want 100 joints in the house going thru the ceiling joists - so I quickly ruled out black iron pipe. I wanted stainless flex line that is approved for inside and outside usage.

Once I decided on which plumber (attitude, quote price, etc) - then they pulled the permit, and got to work. Once the line was installed and inspected, the gas company came out and installed the meter.

In your case, your gas plumber will assist you in the choice of material for the line and distance.

This is what my plumber used for my situation: TracPipe® CounterStrike® CSST

-Tom