Propane line size future proofing

[plout99]

I am considering putting a gas line in the open utility trench I have for the possibility of running propane to my house and definitely to my shop. House currently has electric baseboard and a wood stove.

The shop has nothing but will be propane in a few years. Planning to add a furnace and central air in a few years to the house. How do you size a line when you don’t know what the BTU usage will be? Can a line be too big? Say I just drop 1 1/4 in or 1 1/2 in line in the trench would that work?

 

[The Cobbler]

normally, at least around here, the line is 1/2" at intermediate pressure and a secondary regulator is installed at the house or building to reduce the pressure . that line is then 1" or whatever

 

[Adk Mike]

I size this stuff every day. I can help . The length of the run? How far is the tanks from the buildings and how far apart are they ? Running line with risers to each building is a great idea.
I like plastic gas line the best with protected risers coming out of the ground. If you want to get fancy you’ll need a tee underground.
Anyway the industry standard is 1/2 CTS ( copper tubing size) or 3/4 IPS (iron pipe size)
Example 1/2 inch CTS ran 100 feet will handle 304,000 BTU’s. 100 feet of 3/4 IPS will handle 2,000,000 million BTU’s. 3/4 is the most common. Mike

 

[plout99]

I size this stuff every day. I can help . The length of the run? How far is the tanks from the buildings and how far apart are they ? Running line with risers to each building is a great idea.
I like plastic gas line the best with protected risers coming out of the ground. If you want to get fancy you’ll need a tee underground.
Anyway the industry standard is 1/2 CTS ( copper tubing size) or 3/4 IPS (iron pipe size)
Example 1/2 inch CTS ran 100 feet will handle 304,000 BTU’s. 100 feet of 3/4 IPS will handle 2,000,000 million BTU’s. 3/4 is the most common. Mike

Total run 220 +/-. The tank will be 80 +/- ft from the house and 120 ft +/-from the shop then add risers and 15 ft behind a storage shed and 5 ft from the open utility trench. This is my spouses preferred location so the tank isn’t as visible. She doesn’t like the look of the tanks very much.

I considered a underground tank but the shed location works.This should allow the propane truck to fill from my driveway. If memory serves 100 ft ft hose is typical on the trucks. So I could drop the 1 inch yellow plastic in the trench and that would be sufficient for future needs then? Can I sweep up into the shop without using a riser like I did my water line? I will definitely need a riser on the house side.

 

[Adk Mike]

Use 3/4 IPS plastic . You’ll need a riser at the tank. One at the house along with an underground tee then off to the garage with a riser at the garage . 3/4 IPS piping at 250 feet will handle 681,000 BTU’s . That should do it. Mike

 

[jacks2000]

You need a riser outside shop too. Otherwise an underground leak could follow the pipe into your shop.

 

[acmikee]

i had a 500gal tank for my house and when i installed heat to my shop i installed a 250gal tank so that i wouldnt empty the house tank heating the shop i get both tanks filled at the same time. iown both tanks and the one for the shop i just dug the trench and the propane company installed the line to my pipe on the outside of the shop

 

[plout99]

Use 3/4 IPS plastic . You’ll need a riser at the tank. One at the house along with an underground tee then off to the garage with a riser at the garage . 3/4 IPS piping at 250 feet will handle 681,000 BTU’s . That should do it. Mike

Thanks Mike
I kept looking at the charts but they weren’t making sense.

 

[gmcgeo]

Total run 220 +/-. The tank will be 80 +/- ft from the house and 120 ft +/-from the shop then add risers and 15 ft behind a storage shed and 5 ft from the open utility trench. This is my spouses preferred location so the tank isn’t as visible. She doesn’t like the look of the tanks very much.

I considered a underground tank but the shed location works.This should allow the propane truck to fill from my driveway. If memory serves 100 ft ft hose is typical on the trucks. So I could drop the 1 inch yellow plastic in the trench and that would be sufficient for future needs then? Can I sweep up into the shop without using a riser like I did my water line? I will definitely need a riser on the house side.

Going into the building from underground is not up to code by nfpa-54 standards and can be very dangerous.

you will need a riser out side of the building to set a low pressure regulator to drop down to a 1/4 pound " 11-13" water column"

so if the tanks is 120' from the building at 10psi with 1/2" cts at 125' will do 995,000 btu.

3/4" ips will do 1,992,000 btu's
there will be a first stage regulator at the tank and a second stage at the building, possibly another if hooking the house up also

once you put a rego lv4404b46r at the building to drop down to 1/4 lb or 11-13"s water column. then inside the building is another sizing chart for btu load.

what is the total btu load you are going to pull in the shop?

running 3/4 will not be a huge expense and i recommend just doing 3/4. i doubt you will ever exceed 2 million btus in the shop so it would be useless to go bigger and cost a lot more on the stab fittings... like A TON MORE. once you hit that 1" mark you talking 100s of dollars in one stab fitting. and that's if you can buy the stuff with out going to a company.

 

[yeldogt]

I ran 2" black polly from my underground tank location to my new house addition in the same trench when I was doing all the other services ....water/generator/low volt/ line out to my out building.

The propane company used the 2" to slide the 3/4 in when they hooked it up .. In my area you want the propane co to do all the piping ... it eliminates all the paperwork with the township and inspections of private hook up or plumber.

3/4 from the primary tank regulator will do anything a residence can throw at it ... 1/2 can be an issue if big user.

 

[BD1]

Use 3/4 IPS plastic . You’ll need a riser at the tank. One at the house along with an underground tee then off to the garage with a riser at the garage . 3/4 IPS piping at 250 feet will handle 681,000 BTU’s . That should do it. Mike

You neglected to state what pressure you are calculating. Huge difference with one pound and 10 pounds in a 250 foot run.
Tubing should be rated for propane use.


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