Gas pipe size

Alpha One · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Recently, the gas company run a gas line from the street to the house. The
line is no more than 1/2 an inch. Now, from the gas meter to the inside of
the house, can I use a 1/2 inch pipe? Or is the gas at higher pressure up to
the meter and therefore needs a bigger diameter?

Thank you

Archived from group: alt>hvac

Big_Jake · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 27

On Feb 21, 4:18 pm, "Alpha One" wrote:
> Recently, the gas company run a gas line from the street to the house. The
> line is no more than 1/2 an inch. Now, from the gas meter to the inside of
> the house, can I use a 1/2 inch pipe? Or is the gas at higher pressure up to
> the meter and therefore needs a bigger diameter?
>
> Thank you

Depends on the pressure. If you have a 1 or 2 lb meter, at least in
my area, small diameter tubing can be run to all the gas appliances,
provided each appliance has a regulator to get the pressure down to
the proper pressure for each.

BUT - If you have to ask the question, you shouldn't be messing around
with this stuff yourself. Get a licensed, experienced tradesman to do
this work.

JK

Don Ocean · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 169

Alpha One wrote:
> Recently, the gas company run a gas line from the street to the house. The
> line is no more than 1/2 an inch. Now, from the gas meter to the inside of
> the house, can I use a 1/2 inch pipe? Or is the gas at higher pressure up to
> the meter and therefore needs a bigger diameter?
>
> Thank you

Ask you local building Inspection Department, when you pay the fine for
messing with it and the the ensuing fire.
>
>

Alpha One · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Maybe my English is not so good and I didn't express miself well.
I did install my gas line several years ago, from the meter to the boiler,
water tank and stove. The inpector came and didn't reject anything. in fact
he complimented me. If it's a one family, in my city you can install the
lines.

On the other house I had to install a 1 1/4 inch pipe from the meter to the
inside. Them, from that pipe you run a 1/2 inch to the apliances. The pipe
coming from the street was also about 1 1/4 inches.
In this house, the pipe from the street is only about 1/2 inch, maybe 3/8.
That's why I thought maybe the pipe going inside could be also 1/2 inch in
diameter. Also, there is what appears to me to be a pressure regulator at
the meter. At my other house doesn't have one. So, I am assuming if the
preasure decreases at the meter, then it makes sense to me that a larger
diameter is needed after that. More preasure, more gas volume going trough
up to the meter, less preasure, bigger diameter to carry the same volume.
I don't know if this is the way they do it.
If this is wrong, please clarify.

"Don Ocean" wrote in message @mid.individual.net...
> Alpha One wrote:
>> Recently, the gas company run a gas line from the street to the house.
>> The line is no more than 1/2 an inch. Now, from the gas meter to the
>> inside of the house, can I use a 1/2 inch pipe? Or is the gas at higher
>> pressure up to the meter and therefore needs a bigger diameter?
>>
>> Thank you
>
> Ask you local building Inspection Department, when you pay the fine for
> messing with it and the the ensuing fire.
>>

jamesgangnc · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 39

You're right. You need larger lines from the meter through the house. The
main line size will depend on the number of appliances but typically it is
something around 1" or 1 1/4". Each line to an appliance can be smaller,
1/2" is pretty common unless you have a really big gas furnace. The size
can be calculated by the btu consumption of the appliance and the run
length.

"Alpha One" wrote in message $0$15175$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Maybe my English is not so good and I didn't express miself well.
> I did install my gas line several years ago, from the meter to the boiler,
> water tank and stove. The inpector came and didn't reject anything. in
> fact he complimented me. If it's a one family, in my city you can install
> the lines.
>
> On the other house I had to install a 1 1/4 inch pipe from the meter to
> the inside. Them, from that pipe you run a 1/2 inch to the apliances. The
> pipe coming from the street was also about 1 1/4 inches.
> In this house, the pipe from the street is only about 1/2 inch, maybe 3/8.
> That's why I thought maybe the pipe going inside could be also 1/2 inch in
> diameter. Also, there is what appears to me to be a pressure regulator at
> the meter. At my other house doesn't have one. So, I am assuming if the
> preasure decreases at the meter, then it makes sense to me that a larger
> diameter is needed after that. More preasure, more gas volume going trough
> up to the meter, less preasure, bigger diameter to carry the same volume.
> I don't know if this is the way they do it.
> If this is wrong, please clarify.
>
> "Don Ocean" wrote in message
> @mid.individual.net...
>> Alpha One wrote:
>>> Recently, the gas company run a gas line from the street to the house.
>>> The line is no more than 1/2 an inch. Now, from the gas meter to the
>>> inside of the house, can I use a 1/2 inch pipe? Or is the gas at higher
>>> pressure up to the meter and therefore needs a bigger diameter?
>>>
>>> Thank you
>>
>> Ask you local building Inspection Department, when you pay the fine for
>> messing with it and the the ensuing fire.
>>>
>

jamesgangnc · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 19

On Feb 22, 8:15 am, "jamesgangnc" wrote:
> You're right. You need larger lines from the meter through the house. The
> main line size will depend on the number of appliances but typically it is
> something around 1" or 1 1/4". Each line to an appliance can be smaller,
> 1/2" is pretty common unless you have a really big gas furnace. The size
> can be calculated by the btu consumption of the appliance and the run
> length.
>
> "Alpha One" wrote in message
>
> $0$15175$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>
>
>
> > Maybe my English is not so good and I didn't express miself well.
> > I did install my gas line several years ago, from the meter to the boiler,
> > water tank and stove. The inpector came and didn't reject anything. in
> > fact he complimented me. If it's a one family, in my city you can install
> > the lines.
>
> > On the other house I had to install a 1 1/4 inch pipe from the meter to
> > the inside. Them, from that pipe you run a 1/2 inch to the apliances. The
> > pipe coming from the street was also about 1 1/4 inches.
> > In this house, the pipe from the street is only about 1/2 inch, maybe 3/8.
> > That's why I thought maybe the pipe going inside could be also 1/2 inch in
> > diameter. Also, there is what appears to me to be a pressure regulator at
> > the meter. At my other house doesn't have one. So, I am assuming if the
> > preasure decreases at the meter, then it makes sense to me that a larger
> > diameter is needed after that. More preasure, more gas volume going trough
> > up to the meter, less preasure, bigger diameter to carry the same volume..
> > I don't know if this is the way they do it.
> > If this is wrong, please clarify.
>
> > "Don Ocean" wrote in message
> >@mid.individual.net...
> >> Alpha One wrote:
> >>> Recently, the gas company run a gas line from the street to the house.
> >>> The line is no more than 1/2 an inch. Now, from the gas meter to the
> >>> inside of the house, can I use a 1/2 inch pipe? Or is the gas at higher
> >>> pressure up to the meter and therefore needs a bigger diameter?
>
> >>> Thank you
>
> >> Ask you local building Inspection Department, when you pay the fine for
> >> messing with it and the the ensuing fire.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You do want to find out what the line pressure is past the meter. You
may need regulators at the appliances to bring the pressure down to
the correct level. The appliance installation instructions should
give you the correct pressure, typically in wc inches, that they
need. Some appliances may come with a regulator. Best thing to do is
to read all the installation information for each appliance. As
others point out, there are some pretty serious consequences of
screwing up here but it is not difficult to do it correctly if you
take the time to research what you are doing and have it inspected.