Requesting advice on DIY natural gas installation

[adama_bill]

Hi all

I want to reduce operating cost ~ stop using bottled gas and connect my shed up to the Natural Gas in the house (Australia).
I have this wall-heater in the house with an on/off valve on an outside wall (looks like a 15mm pipe is feeding this 12 pipe going to the wall-heater). http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3341/gasvalve.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Does anyone know if I can DIY a "double adapter" at this junction so I can keep my wall-heater going and have a pipe going off to the shed?

[myerfire]

First off, I am not a plumber. I basicly did what you are proposing to do. I installed a tee in the 1/2" line feeding my water heater, to supply burners for my beer making and distilling equipment, keeping in mind that if the water heater is on, neither the water heater or my burner might get the full amount of gas needed operate optimily. So far, the water heater never came on while useing my burner. Keep in mind that the burners for natural gas are different from propane burners.
myerfire

[Hack]

I'm in the US, so things may be a bit different here, but putting a tee in there should be no problem. Here if you were to put a tee in, there would be no concern about whether both appliances would get enough fuel. You'll want to make sure the burner you use is set up to run on natural gas.

[Tater]

Should work fine whats btus of wall heater.? Might need to split lines closer to where they come in at if theirs a pressure problem.

[adama_bill]

Thanks for the feedback.

I will be sure to have my "Italian Spiral Burner" converted to Natural Gas before connecting it.

I guess that putting in a t-joint AFTER the valve would limit my chances of blowing up the house (less gas hanging around the pipe).

My shed is approx. 40 feet from the house ~ the distance is one reason I thought I may have to put a T-Joint into the larger 15mm gas pipe rather than tap into the smaller 12 pipe.

Might be even easier to do if I can still get one of those 'pre-tinned' t-joints (the kind that has solder in already and all you do is heat it up.

Regards

[heynonny]

This should be a threaded pipe (iron) connection:

Might be even easier to do if I can still get one of those 'pre-tinned' t-joints (the kind that has solder in already and all you do is heat it up.

I would be REALLY worried about soldering on any gas pipe lines, shut off EVERYTHING and purge the lines first.

If they are iron (threaded pipe) they would be a royal pain to solder anyways

-hey-

[dixiedrifter]

Never ever solder natural gas lines.

Use only ductile iron pipe or CSST tubing for natural gas... if you must use copper, make sure it is soft and flare fittings should do the trick.

[Dnderhead]

I was thinking the same,, most Iv seen on the top of regulator is a threaded adapter reduced to the line into house.
remove that and replace with T (maybe street) then put adapter in T , then valve and adapter to pipe (use pipe dope,never turn fitting "back" to align)
to shed. (if you use copper,, use flaird ,never ferules)

[adama_bill]

if you must use copper, make sure it is soft and flare fittings should do the trick.

Thanks dixiedrifter et all.

It seems that the custom in Australia is to use copper pipe for gas all through the house.
I can easily add in a flaired tee ~ I had assumed that a flared fitting wasn't gonna be good enough.
I feel much more confident now.
Currently the scrap metal yard sells copper for AU$9 per kilo ~ 1kg of 12mm pipe = 12 feet (it's roughly a little more than one third the cost of new pipe).

Thanks to all.

[myerfire]

I was just thinking, if you have to run a line 40', talk to a plumber, or ask at a plumbing supply house and tell them what you want to do. The longer the line, the more pressure you lose.
myerfire

[adama_bill]

Thanks myerfire

I think that in Australia people tend to be very compliant with government regulations surrounding electricity (240 volts), water plumbing and gas supplies ~ there's doesn't seem to be a heck of a lot of enthusiasm for DIY.
(Hell I understand that the majority would call me the fool ~ it's just that I like to DIY if I can . . it's more enjoyable).

However I will call into a trade suppliers and see if they'll talk to me about it . . in the past I've found it difficult to get far with talking once they realise you're gonna DIY.

Regards

[blind drunk]

I think that in Australia people tend to be very compliant with government regulations surrounding electricity (240 volts), water plumbing and gas supplies ~ there's doesn't seem to be a heck of a lot of enthusiasm for DIY.

With good reason I'd say. Be careful and hire a gas guy. bd.

[myerfire]

A supplier might be more eager to help you if you let him know that you will be buying materials from him. I'm thinking that for a 40' run, you probably need to use a larger pipe, at least 3/4". I know there are charts and formulas that tell you what you need, but it's not something I'm familar with.
myerfire

[Dnderhead]

Call the gas company and see what whould be necessary for installing a pool heater or some such thing
(some places poly pipe is ok (not water pipe))

[LWTCS]

In the states (in my area) the yellow polly seems to be the norm. But one needs a pretty expensive crimping tool.

I've got a 120 and a 600 gallon tank (propain) in the ground with 250 (+ or -) feet of supply line to my regulator. No pressure issues at all.

Thats for my house, not my,,,,,,,,,,water distiller.

[adama_bill]

It turns out that I'm 85 feet away from the shed!

I'll go and talk to supplier about what fittings would be needed; what size pipe . . . . perhaps some sort of bayonet coupling in the shed would be good(?) ~ then I think I'll "float the idea" to a plumber that I want to make heaps of Tomato Ketchup in my shed (a task often performed by Greek and Italian background folk) and I'll put my setup away under wraps.

I'm thinking a plumber would issue some sort of compliance certificate ~ just in case something goes wrong like the shed blowing up.

Last time I used a licensed plumber was to put a cold water line to the shed. I supplied ALL the fittings and the pipe was laid out in place ~ all he had to do was braise connect a couple of tee couplings; it cost me $100 . . . . I still feel it was way too much money for the effort involved . . . . the job was completed in 30 mins.

Thanks for the good ideas and comments.

[The Baker]

It turns out that I'm 85 feet away from the shed!

I'll go and talk to supplier about what fittings would be needed; what size pipe . . . . perhaps some sort of bayonet coupling in the shed would be good(?) ~ then I think I'll "float the idea" to a plumber that I want to make heaps of Tomato Ketchup in my shed (a task often performed by Greek and Italian background folk) and I'll put my setup away under wraps.

I'm thinking a plumber would issue some sort of compliance certificate ~ just in case something goes wrong like the shed blowing up.

Last time I used a licensed plumber was to put a cold water line to the shed. I supplied ALL the fittings and the pipe was laid out in place ~ all he had to do was braise connect a couple of tee couplings; it cost me $100 . . . . I still feel it was way too much money for the effort involved . . . . the job was completed in 30 mins.

Thanks for the good ideas and comments.

Funerals cost a lot more than a hundred dollars.

[olddog]

Don't do it unless you are a plumber, appart form being illegal its dangerous, you can see a water leak, but not a gas leak.

[adama_bill]

Just for the record.

I'm not gonna DIY.

My next "step-up" maybe to get a bigger size gas bottle than the 19 lbs (8.6kg) one I current use.

I'm told that I can only be supplied a 100 lbs bottle (46kg) if the gas supplier can see it's being used for a fixed device; i.e a build in BBQ or something similar ~ not a ring-burner on the end of a rubber hose . . . . the war drags on.

Regards