How to design a gas pipeline: designing a gas supply system for a private house

Organizing gas supply is the most important aspect of arranging comfortable housing.Practice shows that most often this type of fuel is chosen to power household appliances, but the gas mixture is one of the potentially hazardous substances. In order for the system to work effectively and without problems, it will need to be properly equipped.

We will tell you how to design a gas pipeline and show you how to choose the right contractor to complete the project. The article we presented describes in detail the preparation procedure and provides the documents that the customer will need. Taking into account our advice, you can reduce the time and cost of order fulfillment.

Gasification project: what is it?

A gasification project is understood as a scheme for introducing energy equipment at a facility. It is developed in strict accordance with all current requirements and instructions, taking into account the wishes of the customer.

The project includes calculations and indicators of the energy efficiency of the facility, detailed specifications for supply equipment and materials, justification of solutions for the installation of underground or above-ground gas pipelines, etc.

Actually, the gasification project is understood as a collection of documents, which includes:

• Drawing of the location of gas pipelines, aboveground and underground.
• Gas equipment placement drawing.
• Drawing of the location of all ventilation and smoke ducts.
• Technical conditions for gas supply.
• Inspection reports for all ventilation ducts and chimneys.
• All necessary as-built documentation for the gas main to which the connection will be made.
• Passports and certificates for each of the installed gas appliances.
• Explanatory note.

Legislation requires that any reconstruction or construction of a gas supply line or installation of gas equipment be carried out only after the preliminary completion of the project.

Only with its help can you correctly select gas equipment, determine the price of installation work and necessary materials, and correctly select and arrange premises for the installation of gas appliances. In addition, the availability of the project allows for the necessary approvals in the relevant authorities.

A gasification project is a collection of documents describing a specific solution for supplying gas to a house. It includes detailed diagrams, specifications, descriptions and documents for gas equipment

How to choose a project contractor?

It is impossible to carry out a gasification project on your own, no matter how much you want. And save on its development too. This is a mandatory document that is developed taking into account many requirements. They are indicated in special technical literature, reference books and codes of practice, as well as in state standards.

All these requirements are known to design professionals who should be engaged in design. Moreover, these should be employees of special design departments, and not just specialists offering their services.

As a rule, in your city you can find several organizations involved in the implementation of housing gasification projects. Most often, trustworthy organizations are members of SROs. This abbreviation stands for Self-Regulatory Organizations.

All organizations included in the SRO receive a certificate, which must be studied when choosing a design company

It is best for the customer to deal with such companies. In this case, he can be sure that the work will be completed efficiently, competently and on time.

Otherwise, the organization faces serious troubles associated with reputational problems and financial losses. Companies that are not members of an SRO are limited in their choice of clients. They cannot count on serious orders and cannot take part in tenders.

To join an SRO, an organization must strictly meet certain requirements. They must have at least two professional design engineers on their staff on a permanent basis.

Every three years they are required to undergo testing, thereby confirming their qualifications and knowledge. The inspection is carried out by a special commission, and based on its results, specialists are issued or not issued certificates.

In addition, only an organization that has a license to conduct this type of activity can develop a project. This point must be clarified before concluding a contract for the implementation of a gasification project.

Also, when concluding it, it is important to clarify that the contractor assumes responsibilities for coordinating and approving documents, making measurements and visiting gas services. Such a clause in the contract allows the customer to take minimal participation in the design process.

Where should I start?

You need to know that work on gas supply design can begin only after technical conditions have been agreed upon and received, or as they are also called specifications for the gas supply of the facility.

This is a significant special document; only the gas distribution organization has the right to issue it. Obtaining specifications gives the owner of the site the opportunity to order the development of the project.

Obtaining the Technical Specifications allows the owner of a house or plot for its construction to order a gasification project. Without specifications such a project cannot be developed

For obtaining technical conditions You must provide your local gas service with the following documentation:

1. Application for obtaining technical specifications. It can only be written by the owner of the land plot allocated for construction, or the homeowner if the building has already been erected.
2. A copy of a document that can verify the identity of the applicant. Usually this is a passport.
3. Original documents that confirm the applicant's ownership of the house. You will also need a document that will confirm the legality of the construction. This can be a purchase/sale agreement, as well as an act of acceptance of the building into operation or a technical passport from the BTI.
4. If construction is still underway, it is necessary to provide documentation confirming the applicant’s ownership of the site. This may be a lease or purchase/sale agreement for a plot, as well as a certificate confirming the registration of ownership.
5. Explication of the structure on the ground.

You need to understand that the proposed connection to the gas main will be permitted only if the area where the house is built is included in the gasification plan.

It is important that there is a technical connection possibility. This assumes that the volume of gas in the existing pipeline allows for the addition of another consumption point.

Gas is a potentially dangerous type of fuel, so only professionals can design gas networks

Preparation of technical specifications takes about a month. When connecting to the gas main, certain requirements must be met. For example, a building can be no more than 200 m away from a gas pipeline.

In this case, the design area of ​​the building should not be more than 250 square meters. m. Such houses belong to the first group of gas consumers. They have the right to consume gas at a rate of no more than 5 cubic meters per hour.

If the area of ​​the house is larger, connection is also possible, but obtaining technical specifications will be much more complicated, since it will be necessary to additionally coordinate the transfer of the consumer from the second group to the first.

To obtain technical specifications, you can use the services of special companies, but this will not be cheap. Therefore, it makes sense to do the paperwork yourself.

Features that need to be taken into account in the project

Each project is developed for specific operating conditions, which are always reflected in it. Let's take a closer look at a few important points.

Type of gas supply used

The simplest option for providing a home with gas is to connect to a centralized pipeline. Its implementation requires permission from gas services and the availability of the necessary technical conditions.

In addition, consent from neighbors will also be required if a gas pipeline runs through their area. In practice, most often such permission is taken from the gas service, which in the vast majority of cases will be the owner of the gas main.

Autonomous gas supply is used where for some reason it is impossible to connect to a centralized network

Unfortunately, connection to a centralized gas pipeline It's not always possible.In such cases, it is possible to arrange an autonomous gas supply, which involves the installation of special tanks from which gas will be supplied to the house.

Such a system can be designed as a primary or as a backup fuel source. In the second option, it is used in the event of an accident on the main line or when the gas supply is turned off.

They have proven themselves well as the main source of gas in the absence of the possibility of connecting to a gas pipeline. autonomous gas supply options.

They have significant advantages, which include the ability to regulate the volume of gas used in the house and the durability of the system. Subject to proper design and gas tank installation an independent system will last on average about 40-50 years.

Construction of an external gas pipeline

Structurally, the external gas supply system can be implemented in two ways: above-ground and underground. Let's look at them in detail. The underground installation method is considered the most optimal for installing gas pipes.

He assumes that gas pipeline is being laid in trenches, the depth of which is calculated during the design process. However, recently this installation method has been replaced by more modern trenchless installation.

Properly executed underground pipe laying guarantees their safety and performance. However, the cost of installation is much higher

This is due to the lower cost of the latter. The trenchless method makes it possible to reduce the cost of gasification by two or even three times. In addition, it has other significant advantages. Pipe laying work is completed in the shortest possible time.

The trenchless method is recognized as the most gentle.If necessary, it makes it possible to maintain the integrity of artificial and natural objects and road surfaces encountered along the gas pipeline route.

The actual trenchless installation procedure is quite simple. First, a pilot well is drilled, then a trunk for laying communications is formed using horizontal drilling or directional puncture. The walls of the excavation are strengthened with casing or a soil stabilizing solution.

After it hardens, gas pipeline pipes are fed into the well and laid in it. A special case can be used to protect the gas pipe. This is necessary if communications may suffer from stray currents or mechanical damage.

The latter are quite likely when the main line intersects with water supply or heating pipes, or also passes under the road. It is recommended to protect the gas pipeline with a casing at the sections where it enters the building and at its exit from the ground.A steel pipe is usually used as a case.

An underground gas pipeline in any design is reliable, but has a high cost. A more budget-friendly option is above-ground pipeline laying. It can be cheaper than underground by an average of 60%. In this case, gas pipes are laid on special supports installed in accordance with the laying trajectory. A highway laid above ground is extremely vulnerable.

To protect the overhead highway, it is raised to a certain height above ground level. And yet such pipelines are more vulnerable than underground ones

Therefore, it should be provided with reliable protection from load, mechanical damage, sudden temperature changes, and corrosion. Aboveground pipelines require security to prevent the possibility of unauthorized tapping or intentional damage.

Therefore, they are usually located in such a way as to limit access to outsiders as much as possible. One option is to place pipes at a certain height. You need to understand that both methods of laying gas pipelines are viable.The design engineer decides which one to use to implement the gasification project.

He does this based on the analysis of a complex of data, which includes the characteristics of local climatic conditions and landscape, the location of groundwater, chemical analysis of soils, and more. In some cases, a combined installation method may be chosen.

It consists in the fact that part of the gas pipeline is installed aboveground, and partly underground. For example, if the route runs under the road surface, it should only be laid underground, but before this section it can easily be installed above ground. You need to know that only the designer makes decisions regarding the method of laying the pipeline; the customer’s opinion is taken into account whenever possible, but is not decisive.

Procedure for creating a project

Work on a gas supply project for a private home begins with calculations that will determine the amount of gas required for the uninterrupted supply of all devices using it. After which the engineer begins planning the gas pipeline route.

It is carried out taking into account all recommendations and requirements of building codes. The pipeline connects the building to a gas pipeline or underground tank. In any case, a valve should be installed at the tie-in site to shut off the gas supply, and a metering device should be installed at the entrance to the building.

During the design process, all operating conditions must be taken into account. For example, a pressure-reducing reducer must be installed at the gas pipeline branch to the house

Important point - selection of gas equipment. This must be done by the design engineer, taking into account the wishes of the customer. A specialist will be able to select equipment models whose characteristics are optimally suited for operation in existing conditions.

You should purchase the selected devices only in specialized stores. This will make it possible to eliminate the possibility of purchasing low-quality or uncertified products.

Each of the gas appliances used must have a special technical passport and a certificate with the appropriate marks. This documentation is subsequently provided to the gas service representative, who will issue permission to put the system into operation.

The designer carries out a plan for the placement of gas equipment and internal pipe routing. After it is ready, a hydraulic calculation of the designed gas pipeline is performed.

This is necessary to determine the exact size of pipes in all sections of the pipeline. In addition, the hydraulic calculation determines the pressure loss in the pipeline and confirms the operability of the designed gas network. Only after this can you begin to draw up the specification.

The design of the gas supply to each device is carried out in strict accordance with regulatory requirements

The result of the work performed is:

• Gas network diagrams from the tapping section to the equipment installation section.
• Sections of the building and floor plans, which indicate the layout of the gas pipeline and the location of equipment installation.
• Detailed diagrams of assembly units with explanations and recommendations for their construction.
• Specification of equipment and materials.
• Description of the measures necessary to protect the system from various negative influences.
• Recommendations regarding the operation and maintenance of the designed gas system.

Upon completion of all work on the project, it is submitted for approval to the technical department of the service that previously issued the specifications.Specialists will carefully check the project for safety and compliance with all current standards. Upon completion of the inspection, a decision is issued to approve the project or it can be returned for revision.

Subsequent installation of equipment and laying of the gas pipeline must be carried out in strict accordance with the agreed project. If any changes are planned during construction, they should be agreed again with the technical department and wait for the decision of the specialists. Otherwise the system cannot be put into operation.

You need to know that all the as-built documentation illustrating the work performed is in the archives of the gas service. Therefore, it will not be possible to prove the legality of arbitrary changes to the project.

Available options for saving on the project

The issue of project cost worries many customers. The design company does not always clearly answer this question; it often provides approximate figures, citing the varying complexity of the work in each case. However, you can get a general idea of ​​the amount.

Practice shows that state-owned companies will have the minimum design cost. For example, the same Gorgaz can provide such a service.

An attempt to save money on a gasification project can end disastrously. The work should only be carried out by competent specialists, whose services cannot be very cheap

But in this case, you need to be prepared for the fact that the order execution time may be significantly delayed. Sometimes up to six months. Those who do not want or cannot wait that long should contact private companies that work more quickly.

But the cost of their services will be much higher.It is very important not to make a mistake in choosing the organization that will carry out the design.

The finished project must strictly comply with all regulatory requirements. Competent and experienced specialists are well versed in the many intricacies of regulatory documentation and know how to work with it.

Each new project requires a thorough study of the rules and regulations. Professional designers know that the requirements for gas systems may vary depending on the method of laying the pipeline, construction conditions, the type of equipment selected and many other factors.

If at least one of the current rules is not met, the project is returned for revision. Gas services very carefully check all the documentation provided to them, and you can’t hope for their inattention.

Each of these modifications significantly delays gasification. Therefore, it is worth entrusting the design to competent specialists in order to get a high-quality project in the shortest possible time.

All cost items associated with connecting gas to a country house are given in next article, which we recommend that you familiarize yourself with.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video #1. Let's consider all the stages of gasification of a private house:

Video #2. What happens if the gasification project is violated:

Video #3. Advantages of autonomous gas supply:

Gasification of a house is impossible without a competent project. This is a defining document that specifies all the features of specific gas networks, wiring and equipment.

Based on the project, the system is subsequently installed and permission for its further operation is issued.It is extremely important that the project is completed correctly, so it should only be ordered from competent specialists.

Please write comments in the block below. Tell us about how the gas pipeline was designed for you, and also about how much time passed between the issuance of the project and the connection of the house to the main line. Share useful information and photos on the topic of the article, ask questions.