Getting propane into the shed...

[Splinter]

We have propane heat in the house, the supply line runs right in front of the shed (in line with the orange paint).

How exactly do I tee into the line, and what do I need to correctly install a line that I can cap off for future use inside the shed?

 

[kwright]

I did this same thing this fall, T'd into the line that feeds the house to run a line to a new garage.

My garage contractor buried the flexible copper from the LP tank to right outside the new garage. The LP company insisted on doing the actual connection, they would not allow the contractor (or me) to actually do the work of tying into the line coming from the tank. They also installed the low pressure regulator on the garage. I stubbed out black pipe though the garage wall, and the LP company mounted the regulator on this pipe (for a water heater). Essentially all they did at the tank was install a T-fitting and split off to connect to the flex-copper my contractor pulled up to the tank.

 

[6768rogues]

Bear in mind that most codes require propane to enter the building above grade. Up then in. Natural gas can enter below grade.

 

[Splinter]

so they t'd from the tank instead of tapping into the current line?

 

[Franz©]

Might I strongly suggest your question indicates your level of knowledge of propane lines leaves you way short of being able to Tee a line either underground or at the tank itself.

I would also recommend you contact the propane suplier to do the job. Chances are you'd get a lot better job that way, and one done by a hopefully trained "technician".

 

[Splinter]

oh hell franz, I'm not actually going to tackle it, just curious as to what it takes to get it in there. Something about solder + propane sounds like a baaaaaad idea to me


two things that I don't touch: things that can shock you and things that can go boom...

 

[larry4406]

I will be running propane to my detached garage also. Rather than "tee" into the line to the house, I am installing a home run to the tank. At the tank, there is a 10 psi regulator that feeds the house line, and the house has a low pressure regulator.

I will be installing a tee at the tank, the outlets of the tee then will each have a 10 psi regulator, one for the house, and one for the new garage line. The garage will then have its own low pressure regulator. The gas contractor advised that it be done this way. He was concerned that "tee-ing" into the house line could starve the house appliances when the garage furnace ran. I am using plastic gas line by Perfection with stab-type connections (no plastic welding or fusion).

 

[Splinter]

I was wondering how the house would react if it was tee'd off the existing line, the separate line installation makes total sense now, thanks Larry.

Tank is about 40' from the shed, and I know where the current line is, guess I can trench the new line in and have the propane guy hook up new components down the road anytime I want... I was just curious if I needed to do it now while I had the line exposed...

thanks guys.

 

[D KRAGER]

The line running to the house may not be big enough to feed the garage and house, keep this in mind. You have to figure out how many btu's are running off of it. You may have to run a new line to the tank. (HVAC or lp man will know this)

If the line to the house is big enough you should be able to tee into it. Flare fittings for gas, do not solder any gas connection. Like everyone else said, ask your LP man, he'll have the answer. Everyone's company is different on policies.

 

[Junkman]

In my area of CT, the propane company will no longer allow copper lines to be buried. They are now using plastic lines with some fancy (read expensive) fitting that connects to where it goes underground and where it comes out of the ground. It also requires a special tool to connect this fitting to the plastic line. It has been a few years since I last asked how much it cost per foot, but I do remember it being very expensive. I was going to install a bigger tank at my home to feed the cooking stove, clothes drier, and the 8000 watt generator. Right now, the house is served by a 100 gallon tank, and the generator has its own dedicated 100 gallon tank. The cost of plumbing the larger tank to the house was not cost effective, so it never got done. I own the large tank, and the gas company owns the 2 100 gallon tanks. There is no rent on the tanks that they own, so there is no cost savings in owning your own tank in my area, unless you are a very small user. Then they do charge you rent on the tank, and high prices on the propane when they fill it. My fill up last week for my rental property was $1.97 per gallon.

 

[kwright]

so they t'd from the tank instead of tapping into the current line?

At the top of the tank, right after the pressure regulator they (the LP company) cut the copper line and installed a T fitting. Into one side of the T they reconnected the house line, on the other side they connected the new line to the garage.

Note that the garage does have it's own low-pressure regulator, as does the house.

 

[Franz©]

There are so many misconceptions about LP in the thread I hardly know where to start.

Owning your own tank is definitely cost effective, I own my 500 gal, and when it gets to ¼ I accept bids from supliers. The price is considerably lower than people with company owned tanks get. Rent is built into the price of every gallon of propane regardless of what the suplier says.

Copper is being abandoned in favor of gas aproved plastic because there are plenty of places where soil conditions actually eat copper lines. The supliers definitely don't like that liability. Price should work out about the same as copper since even though fittings for plastic cost more the line is cheaper per foot.

On a system with ½" copper leaving the tank from a primary regulator, that line can easily carry every bit of gas the tank can evaporate on a 0° day. The primary line is at 10psi leaving the tank, and the regulator at the house reduces it to a few ounces of presure to the apliance.

Generators usually operate on liquid propane, not vapor. Relying on vapor evaporation in the tank would generally starve the engine on cold days. It is easier for a suplier to set a second tank with a liquid valve, because tanks smaller than 500 gal generally are not equipped with a liquid port.