LP Gas line for many lp appliances

[itstheburns327]

Hi everyone. I am hoping someone can guide me. I live in a rural area using LP gas. we have 1 100lb lp tank. we are currently running 1 fireplace and dryer with this lp tank. the line coming from the tank is 3/8" copper. we are installing a 87,500BTU tankless water heater and 150k btu tankless hydronic boiler both have 3/4" gas line inlets. i am uncertain of the size pipe, or type of pipe to run from the tank to the respected appliances. i planned on using 1" black iron pipe from the tank to the 2 heaters and tee off respectively. and within in that line tee off to the 3/8" copper to complete the system. the run from the tank to the heaters and to where the tee from the fireplace and gas dryer is no more than 40 feet. any help will be appreciated.

[David Meiland]

At least you're aware that gas pipe has to be sized! There are charts and other means available for sizing. They take into account the BTU input of each appliance, and how many feet of pipe there are. It can get a little complicated when you are T'ing off this way and that to different appliances at different points. Are you actually doing the piping yourself?

87K BTU is a fairly small tankless. Which model is that?

[itstheburns327]

its an eztankless ultra model from eztankless.com. my house is plumbed with 1/2" copper from the well bladder throughtout the house. we only have 2 sinks, 1 shower, and washer that require hot water so the demand for domestic hot water are well within this heaters capabilities. as for the hydronic heating unit, its 150k btu nortiz NH150-DV or similar. our current heating system is an oil fired boiler that did domestic and hydronic heat and it is rated at 105k btu. i had thought about the all-in-one units but i believe if one fails, your out 2. yes i will be doing the piping myself. i will not be connecting to the lp tank. i will be running from the tank to the appliances. all the lp gas companies said they would do a pressure test for me since i am doing the line install myself. every appliance is within 50 feet of the tank. the fireplace and dryer are working just fine on the 3/8" copper but i know that isnt enough volume for the water hear or boiler together. i do know that any fittings used with lp gas or even ng have a negative affect on the flow, distance, etc. i could use larger pipe to accommodate the loss with fittings... if it works that way. i have found charts online for the BTU and pipe sizing but every one i looked at had significantly different numbers.

[Marc]

It would be wisest to leave that to a licensed, qualified plumber. Lots of details are involved and an error involving gas lines could have very serious consequences.

Marc

[itstheburns327]

yes and i hear that from many people. if they want to pay the plumber to install it, then ill go that route . the prices i was quoted for this particular job are way above my budget. i do have plumbing skills, i know about the hazards of lp gas leaks and i know how to stay at or above codes and plan to meet it. i just like to save on labor costs since i do know how to do this kind of thing. i dont do it everyday so thats why im seeking help. i installed the line for the fireplace and gas dryer myself and had it inspected and it was above code. at that time, people were willing to help for little or no money, too bad its not that way anymore. besides, the way i designed my heating system, i was told it would never work. works flawlessly to this day. this is the reason i seek help about running the proper gas line for lp gas.

[Greg Booth]

If you find a professional to furnish you with the requisite information, they will be assuming responsibility for the quality of your work. How will they know if you will do the job as they specify--after all, you said that you did not follow the recommendations regarding your earlier heating system installation. Remember, the most valuable commodity that professionals have to sell is their knowledge and experience. I second Marc's comments--you should hire, (and expect to pay for) professional help. Mistakes on gas and electric installations are more than an inconvenience, they're often deadly.

[Jim Katen]

Hi everyone. I am hoping someone can guide me. I live in a rural area using LP gas. we have 1 100lb lp tank. we are currently running 1 fireplace and dryer with this lp tank. the line coming from the tank is 3/8" copper. we are installing a 87,500BTU tankless water heater and 150k btu tankless hydronic boiler both have 3/4" gas line inlets. i am uncertain of the size pipe, or type of pipe to run from the tank to the respected appliances. i planned on using 1" black iron pipe from the tank to the 2 heaters and tee off respectively. and within in that line tee off to the 3/8" copper to complete the system. the run from the tank to the heaters and to where the tee from the fireplace and gas dryer is no more than 40 feet. any help will be appreciated.

You won't need to run anything near 1" pipe from the tank because of the high pressure there. You should have a regulator where the tank line enters the house. (Unless you've screwed that up already with your past work.) That regulator is where you'd step up the pipe size.

The size of the pipes will depend on their length as well as the BTU/hr input of each appliance. You shouldn't need to run a separate line to each one. You can step down the line as necessary. No one can tell you what size pipes to use based on the information you've given us.

To calculate all this takes a bit of education. You can find the necessary information in the International Residential Code.

I sure as heck amn't going to tell you what size pipes to use.

Frankly, you sound like a cowboy who's thinks he's got it all figured out because he hasn't blown himself up yet. Do yourself a favor & hire someone who knows what the heck he's doing.

Several times a week on this board, inspectors post pictures of dumbass things that they find that were put together by people like you.

- Jim Katen, Oregon