Gas line

[highhopgod]

Can anyone tell me how big of a natural gas line you would need for a 10-20 bbl system, We have a 2 inch line coming into the building. I have not contacted the local gas company yet to see how many btu's the line will carry now. I am not sure how many btu's are required for either system.

Thanks
Jim

[Todd]

BTU's

You really need to know how many BTU's your brewing system requires. Also, if you have other demands for Natural Gas within the building, you will need to know those BTU's. Usually the gas company will know and understand the size of the line, once they know your BTU demands.

Regards,

[kokahuna]

Jim,

You also want to check into the size of your meter as well. You need to be sure that your meter can handle the volume you need. The two things that are going to effect your BTUs are the size of the pipe and the length of run from the meter to the equipment. For 15-20 Bbls, my guess would be 750k -1.5M BTU for a gas-fired system, maybe not so much for a steam boiler if it is a newer, more efficient system. Your plumber should have a copy of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) which has a chart where he/she can cross reference how many BTUs a 2" line can produce at different lengths. From what I remember, unless your meter is a couple of hundred feet from where your equipment is, you should have no problems with 2" pipe. Again, that doesn't mean that your meter is big enough to supply your kettle/boiler though. Only your local utility rep can tell you that.

I agree with Todd though; you really need to know the number to get any definitive answer. If you don't have the equipment yet, you will find the city/utility company hesitant to talk in hypotheticals. They are going to want to know exactly what you are running and tech manuals with spec sheets for everything. Then they will turn it over to the engineers and they will let you know if you need a bigger house line or meter and what it would cost. So, if you are just ball-parking it, you should just measure the distance to your meter and make a note of the model of meter you have. Then get your hands on that UPC on look up the BTUs chart to give you piece of mind. Somebody else can let you know if they think my guesstimates on BTU loads are out of line

Hope any of that helped

Adam

[HubCity]

You need to contact a mechanical contractor as they will be able to tell you what line size at what working pressure. If you have a 2" trunk line chances are you will be fine. In some cases it is possible to raise pressure on the incoming line and add regulators later inline if you are a bit short on supply.