Gas Tiki

[geekfamily]

We just signed a contract with our PB, and I will be starting a thread soon with pics :-D

However, a key part of our design is going to be 4 gas tiki torches. We ordered 4 of these and received yesterday: https://www.buytikitorches.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=74

They are bigger than they look on the website, but in a good way. However, the pole they come with is TALL. It is basically a 2 part pole...a 27" base that can be mostly buried in ground, with a 8' pole that attaches to the base. Assuming we put the 27" base in concrete, that still leaves the torch head over 8' high.

1) Is there any code restrictions for gas torch height? 8' will look way to high in our setting. 6 1/2' would be about the max.

2) We are not getting a heater, and have a 7" wc (1/4psi) 260k btu gas meter currently. The tiki docs say each consumes up to 49,000 btu (49cu/ft/hr) so approx 200k btu for all four tikis. Considering all the other gas appliances in the house, we will be way over. I am guessing my only option is to upgrade my gas meter to a 2# meter...of course the gas company charges $412 for that

If anyone has gone through this type of build, any help would be much appreciated. They will start digging soon.

Thanks!!

 

[Killer95Stang]

Wow.... We had the gas co upgrade our meter to support our 400k heater and they did it at no charge. They figure they will make it back when I use the heater.

 

[bigdav160]

Wow.... We had the gas co upgrade our meter to support our 400k heater and they did it at no charge. They figure they will make it back when I use the heater.

Or it's being subsidized some other way. Nothing is free.

BTW, we did not need to upgrade our meter. My heater is only three feet away from the meter and the meter only three feet from the main.

If I had to upgrade, it was close to what geekfamily quoted.

 

[geekfamily]

Gas company came out to look at our meter a few days ago.

They said for 2# service, meter needs to be upgraded for $400...BUT the service to the house is at 26psi...but is only 1/2 pipe.

They said 1/2 pipe will not handle flow to the meter and want another $1300 to trench 1" pipe from curb. Wow...$1700 to upgrade to 2psi...we are not going to do it.

Does not make sense to me, as the 1/2" pipe to the current meter is 26psi now with a 7" wc regulator. Would think simply adding a 2# regulator would be fine. I must be missing something.

 

[Safetybob]

First, I cannot wait for pictures of the completed, operating torches. I have considered putting in a bunch of gas/propane fired torches to end the constant filling of the torches I have now.

Let's get onto the gas question. A 1/2 line at any pressure may still not be able to "flow" enough gas to adequately give the proper amount of gas to all your stuff at the same time. Been there, delt with this to a large measure so here is my advice that you may or may not be able to do: find a gas company employee....a friend of a friend know one of them? Perhaps a plumber you know or have used knows somebody. What I am trying to say is that you need another opinion. Flow is flow and you probably do need a bigger pipe installed, but the question is how best to do it on the cheap. You willing to dig? Will your gas company allow you to dig? Perhaps you can do some of the digging if they are able to quickly come place a new line in and you do all the work......it's worth a shot to see what can be done by you (if your up to it) and what has to be done by them.

Your other option is to go with LP. Have an area where you BBQ grill is? Can you fit a 100lb bottle somewhere out of sight? One of my kids has a 500 pounder that the propane people come fill a couple time a year.....it's hidden out of the way. YOU could run the lines, ect, ect for a propane setup and forget the gas company....problem solved. Perhaps a propane company could advise you how to setup a 2 or 3 20# bottle setup that you could easily hide and would be easy for you to throw empty bottle into the car, and get them exchanged at Lowes, WalMart, you get the idea.........you could also use those propane bottles for your emergency generator.......

Bob E.

 

[CraigMW]

I agree with Bob, thouh an even cheaper approach would be to go with separate 20 lb propane tanks for each torch. As each tank will give you about 430 kBTU, you would get about 10 hours on each torch at full flame. You would need to conceal the tanks to make it look nice, perhaps behind bushes or in boxes.