Gasification of a country house: stages of connecting the cottage to the main gas pipeline

The issue of heating and hot water in a private house can be solved in different ways: electricity, solid fuel, solar energy, wind energy, water energy.But the leader among resources is gas, so gasification of a country house is an excellent option for those who are not used to saving on their comfort.

And if there is a gas main nearby, you can make a branch to your site. And we will look at how exactly to implement and formalize this in this article. We will pay attention to the issues of drawing up the project and completing the necessary documentation - we will step by step consider each step, without which gasification of your home is impossible.

Conditions for connecting a house to the gas network

The procedure for technological connection of private cottages and other capital construction projects to gas mains is prescribed in the Government Decree RF No. 1314 dated December 30, 2013.

According to this document, both already fully completed facilities and those that are just being built or reconstructed can be connected to gas distribution networks.

But before collecting documents and submitting an application to local organizations, you should first find out whether it is in principle possible to connect your site to the main gas pipeline.Of course, only competent specialists can know all the nuances, but we will try to list the main problems that can be encountered when gasifying a home.

To obtain approval to connect a cottage to the gas main, the building must have at least a foundation - foundation, walls, roof

Difficulties may arise in the following cases:

• Large distance from home to highway – laying a multi-kilometer pipeline can cost an impressive amount.
• Availability of a federal highway or a railway track on the track - it is very difficult and expensive to arrange and carry out the “crossing” of a branch across a busy road, so, most likely, you will be faced with a refusal.
• Path through private property – if the gas pipe cannot be used to bypass other people’s land, it will be necessary to obtain written consent from their owners, who may, but are not obliged to provide it.
• Difficult terrain – if the area is replete with rocky soil, ravines and other natural obstacles, laying an underground pipeline becomes an expensive and sometimes unfeasible project.
• Insufficient bandwidth — if the pressure in the main line itself is low, the issue of new connections may be “frozen” for an indefinite period.

Therefore, if we are not talking about an already rebuilt building, but only the choice of a suitable site for a future home, consider options with already installed communications.

Ideally, the village should be supplied with a separate gas pipe, from which it is only necessary to make a branch to its territory. In this case, the process of approval procedures is reduced to a minimum.

Main stages of gasification at home

To start the gas “epic”, you should find out in whose jurisdiction the main gas pipeline to which you plan to connect is located.

Usually this is the local GorGaz, but if you do not have information about its location and methods of communication, submit a request to your local government. There, within 5 days you should receive a response with information about the organization that issues technical specifications in your region.

Step #1 - preparation of technical documentation

To complete a project with subsequent installation of a gas pipeline, you need to take into account the local terrain and other nuances. And this requires technical conditions.

To obtain them, prepare the following set of documentation:

• Copies of documents certifying your ownership of the land plot where the cottage is located.
• Originals and copies of documents identifying the applicant - passport, power of attorney.
• Situational plan of the settlement indicating the land plot where gas supply is required and the location of the main line itself. A graphic diagram with a fragment of a cadastral map would also be suitable.
• Written consent from neighbors (if the gas pipeline route will be laid through their territory).
• Calculation of the maximum hourly gas consumption if the planned consumption exceeds 5 m3 (usually for private cottages from 300 m2).

If you do not know how to correctly calculate heat consumption, you can delegate this task to the technical specifications executor or designer, providing information on the number and power of gas devices, as well as the size of the area where it will be heating carried out. But most private houses and cottages fall into the category that does not require additional heat calculations.

Technical conditions and calculation of the cost of connection to the gas main must be carried out by the gas distribution organization without charging a separate fee

Then a request is made for the provision of technical services, indicating the applicant’s personal data (full name, identification code and residential address) and the planned date for putting the house into operation, if we are talking about unfinished construction.

The documents are submitted to the organization responsible for the local gas pipeline, where they must provide either ready-made technical specifications or a reasoned refusal within 2 weeks.

The issued package of documents contains information about the gas pipeline to which the applicant will be connected, the maximum load on the branch, the timing of the connection, the validity period of the technical specifications, the recommended diameter and material of the pipes for the pipeline. In addition, the applicant will be required to install a gas meter.

We discussed the issue of obtaining technical conditions in more detail in in our other article.

If the estimated gas consumption per hour does not exceed 300 m3, the owner of the cottage can immediately submit an application to the gas distribution organization for connection to the main line, without waiting for technical conditions to be drawn up

After studying the provided technical conditions, the owner of the house signs a connection agreement and undertakes to pay for the work according to the schedule and tariffs specified in the document.

Step #2 - drawing up a connection project

When the first step has been completed and the technical specifications have been received, you should select an organization that will draw up a project and prepare a household gas consumption network for connection to the main line.The fact is that the gas distribution company only undertakes to bring the branch to your site, and laying pipes along the local area and wiring inside the house is already the task of the owner.

Therefore, contact only licensed companies that have permission to carry out construction and installation work and specialize in developing projects for indoor and outdoor gas supply. It would be a good idea to check recommendations from clients, because not only the cost and quality of work, but also the safety of operation of the future pipeline depends on your decision.

To be sure that there are no complaints from GorGaz, after receiving the technical conditions, you can ask about companies whose projects did not raise any complaints

To draw up a project, you must provide the following documents:

• A copy of the registration certificate for the house (or construction project for unfinished construction).
• Topographic plan of the site with all gasified objects, utilities and gas pipeline, approved by the gas service.
• Documents for gas appliances and equipment planned for installation.
• Received technical specifications.

After concluding the contract, a design engineer should be sent to you, who will make all the necessary measurements to draw up a project for the distribution of gas communications inside the house and around the site. You will need to agree with him on the need to install a boiler room, the location of the meter and all gas appliances.

We spoke in more detail about the design of a gas supply system in this article.

Decide on a place for the gas stove and boiler at the design stage so that you don’t have to redo the project at the final stage, because gas appliances are not allowed to be moved at your own discretion

After drawing up, the project must be approved by all interested organizations, for example, the head of architecture, the water utility, the highway (by agreement, the design company can also take care of obtaining visas).

Now all that remains is to submit a package of project documentation along with a signed contract for connection to the gas service and wait for the 14 days allotted by law, after which you will either be returned the corrected plan for revision or allowed to proceed.

Step #3 - construction and installation work on site

When the documentary stage is completed, you can either start looking for a construction company, or entrust laying a gas pipeline on the site of the organization that completed the project (if the latter has the appropriate license). Here they will draw up an estimate with a list of upcoming work and their cost.

If the price suits you, a contract is signed. To be on the safe side, you should clearly indicate the deadlines for completing the work and include in the payment section a clause under which full payment will be made only after the gas pipeline is approved by the commission.

If the cost is sky-high, you can exclude from the estimate work that does not require clearance and qualifications in order to perform them yourself (though not every organization will agree to this) or look for a cheaper company.

After completing installation work on laying and routing pipes, the contractor must provide as-built documentation. To inspect and approve the gas pipeline section, a commission is assembled from representatives of the gas service, the construction contractor, inspectors for architectural and construction supervision, labor protection and the owner of the house.

At the time the commission accepts the installation work, all gas equipment specified in the project must be installed and ready to connect “blue fuel”

The commission makes a decision within 2 to 4 weeks, after which you will need to pay a technical supervision receipt. Now you can conclude an agreement for gas supply, maintenance of the gas pipeline and in-house equipment, and seal the meter. The home owner will also have to undergo safety training at the gas service.

Step #4 - inserting the pipeline and starting the system

The final stage of gasification of the house - insertion of the inspected area pipeline on your territory into the main gas pipeline. This task is performed by gas service workers after payment and terms have been agreed upon with you.

Gas specialists must bring pipes to the main line to the site, connect your pipeline to the system, check the pressure and perform a test run

At the time of checking the equipment and the first gas supply, you need to call an employee of the organization with which the service agreement was concluded.

After opening the branch valve, he must set the optimal operating mode for the devices, make sure that they are in good condition and provide instructions for use. After this, a work acceptance certificate is signed, a copy of which is filed with the project and submitted to the archive.

Nuances of gasification in the local area

Although most of the work on laying out gas communications is carried out by a contractor, it also doesn’t hurt for the home owner to figure out what’s what. After all, if specialists are responsible for the safety of connections and installation of the system, then you will have to choose and buy gas appliances yourself.And you should worry about the landscape design of the site and the interior of the house in advance.

Selecting a pipeline laying option

For supply to the house, you can install a system passing through the air or underground. The first option is faster and cheaper.

The pipes of the above-ground gas pipeline must be located at least 50 cm from the ground level, for which they are fixed on supports made of fire-resistant material and secured to the walls of the house with special brackets

But the above-ground system also has significant disadvantages: open pipes are more susceptible to corrosion and accidental damage. In addition, unscrupulous neighbors can easily make illegal connections to them, and the appearance of the house is unlikely to benefit from the interlacing of bright yellow pipes.

Therefore, if the terrain and the project budget allows, it is worth thinking about underground communications. Such a system is much more reliable and safer, since it is protected from various accidents by a layer of soil; In addition, the wiring does not spoil the appearance of the site.

But underground construction will cost 1.5-2 times more, and will require a lot of free space: there should be no buildings at a distance of 2 m in each direction from the gas pipeline. Another drawback is that it is difficult to maintain, because if a pipe breaks, you will have to re-raise the soil and look for the leak.

To install an underground gas pipeline, you will have to dig a deep trench so that the distance from the top of the pipe to the ground level is at least 60 cm

But the choice of system type also depends on the following nuances:

• If your line passes through someone else's property, its owner may refuse to disturb the fertile layer of soil for the sake of an underground pipeline.However, the opposite situation may also occur - when a neighbor does not like the idea of ​​an above-ground pipe on supports, and he demands to disguise the structure.
• If groundwater or rocky soil is close to the site, it is better to opt for above-ground structures.
• If the pipeline needs to cross a highway or be close to a high-voltage power line, consider only underground structures.

There are also combined gas pipelines, one part of which runs underground and the second through the air. But this option is quite complicated in design and installation, so it is performed most often when it is necessary to “translate” a branch across the road.

Selection of pipe material

For a gas pipeline, you need to buy only certified components, and this applies not only to pipes, but also to various connecting and closing elements - tees, crosses, elbows, plugs, couplings, adapters.

As for pipes, most likely the material and required diameter The gas service or design and installation company will tell you. But the two most popular options today are traditional steel or relatively innovative polyethylene products.

Polyethylene pipes are many times longer than metal in terms of service life, due to their resistance to corrosion, strength and elasticity, but due to their flexibility they cannot be used for installation on supports

In addition, polyethylene pipes will not fail even in climates with harsh winters (up to -45 degrees), and weigh 7 times less than their metal “competitors,” which greatly facilitates installation and transportation.

Another significant advantage is that the plastic is insensitive to the effects of stray currents, so there is no risk of electrochemical damage to your pipeline.

The intra-house part of the gas pipeline and the entry into the building itself must be made only with metal pipes (steel or copper); polyethylene structures are prohibited here

But low-carbon steel pipes are suitable for any gas pipelines - intra-house, underground or surface. They are fastened by welding or using seamless joints.

For high-pressure networks, it is recommended to use pipes with a diameter of at least 5 cm, for wiring around the house - from 2.5 cm. The wall thickness for underground pipelines should not be less than 0.3 cm, for above-ground ones - 0.2 cm or more.

Heating boiler or boiler room?

The type and technical characteristics of a gas boiler directly depend on the area of ​​the heated room. For 150 square meters and 2 hot water dispensing points, wall-mounted equipment is quite enough; for a larger area you will need a floor-standing boiler. We talked more about choosing a gas boiler in next article.

In the room with the boiler, you need to install a hood, and ideally, a gas alarm that will warn of a carbon monoxide leak.

If the power of the heating equipment exceeds 30 kW, it will require a separate room; for lower values, you can install the boiler in the kitchen or another room of the house where you can install a chimney

If the area of ​​the cottage exceeds 200 m2, and the boiler power is 30 kW, you will need to equip a separate boiler room, where you can place not only a gas boiler, but also a boiler, an indirect heating boiler and other appliances.

For this purpose, a separate room of 7.5 m3 or more is allocated, always with a window, chimney, fresh air ventilation and a ceiling height of at least 250 cm.

Gasification prices and ways to save

According to the new rules for connecting to gas mains, prescribed in Resolution No. 1314, the cost of connection depends on the category of consumers.

For private houses and cottages there are three options:

1. When gas consumption is no more than 5 cubic meters per hour, connection will cost 20 thousand rubles. In this case, the distance in a straight line from the gas boiler to the gas distribution network should not exceed 200 m.
2. For buildings where the estimated consumption is planned at 5-15 m3/hour, supply to the site boundary will cost around 50 thousand.
3. If the consumption volume exceeds 15 m3/hour, an individual calculation is performed.

This cost includes the development of technical specifications by the gas distribution organization and the supply of pipes from the main gas pipeline to the owner’s territory.

For an additional fee, you can also agree on installation work on site. Typically, the cost of such services is cheaper than that of private organizations, but the turnaround time is much longer, and if the workload is high, it can even stretch out for an indefinite period.

Drawing up a project is a separate expense item, which will cost from 10 to 100 thousand rubles (much depends on the region and the size of the building). If you give preference to a company that not only designs, but also has a license for installation work, you can save up to 20-35%.

Ask your neighbors, maybe they will want to join the highway, then the costs of materials and many works can be divided

Collective connection is another option for those who are looking for a way to connect their cottage to gas with the least loss of money. In addition, many localities have regional connection programs and subsidies.

For more details on the cost of gasification of a private house, we discussed here.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

To make it easier to understand the nuances of supplying gas to your cottage, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with a small selection of videos.

About the preparation of documents for connection to the gas main and the cost of certain types of work:

The procedure for performing gasification work at home - the nuances of connecting to the main pipeline:

Stages of gasification of a private house:

And finally, a piece of advice. If the pipeline is far away or the specific terrain poses difficult challenges for connecting the pipeline to the site, there is an alternative option for supplying “blue fuel” to the house - autonomous gasification with a gas holder.

Have you recently completed gasification of your home and want to share your experience with other owners of country houses? Leave your comments in the block below the article - tell us how much this event cost you, did you do something on your own or did you entrust the entire amount of work to specialists? What pipes were recommended to you for laying the gas pipeline? Many users will be grateful to you for your advice.