How to supply gas to a bathhouse from home: the subtleties of bathhouse gasification

Have you ever considered how much it costs to heat a sauna with gas? According to the most conservative estimates, compared to burning wood and electric heating, the savings are 40 percent. The cost reduction is especially noticeable if the bathhouse is large. Most often, this method is used by owners of gasified areas, since it is not difficult to supply gas to the bathhouse from home, and constantly changing cylinders is a labor-intensive undertaking.

Extension of the gas pipeline to the bathhouse must be carried out taking into account the requirements of the law. Already at the design stage, it is necessary to involve professionals, since special permission is required to launch. When issuing such permits, experts take into account the specifics of the project, the location of the bathhouse on the site, conditions for the safe placement of pipes, the origin of the equipment and much more.

To create an algorithm for competent gasification of a bathhouse, we familiarized ourselves with legislative acts, advice from gas workers, and user observations. The result was a detailed action plan that took into account all installation and operation rules.

Advantages and disadvantages of bathhouse gasification

Before deciding to supply gas to the bathhouse, owners of suburban areas try to take into account all the features of this method. The cost of operation, environmental friendliness, difficulty of maintenance, and efficiency are taken into account.

Advantages of using blue fuel

In addition to noticeable savings, the advantages of this method include the hygiene of the gas - there are no odors, soot, or soot during combustion. In addition, a gasified sauna heats up almost twice as fast.

Firewood is inferior to gas in many respects: it needs to be stored somewhere, monitored for timely delivery and condition. However, they are still the most popular firebox material. And even used in combined gas-wood stoves

A big plus is the automation of the process. Kindling requires minimal labor on the part of the owner. Combined with the cheapness of gas, this advantage makes gasification of a bathhouse especially attractive.

Disadvantages noticed by owners and professionals

According to the owners, the main drawback is the difficulty in obtaining permission: if there is the slightest inaccuracy, the commission prohibits the use of gas to heat the bath.

Professional gas workers note a high level of danger due to non-compliance with installation rules, lack of safety devices and vigilance of owners

Other disadvantages include:

• the need to pay for the work of installation specialists;
• high cost of equipment;
• restrictions on the choice of sauna design.

Another subjective observation concerns the lack of odor. Many people appreciate the aroma that spreads throughout a heated room when wood burns. Gas equipment eliminates this possibility.

Legal requirements for design, equipment, installation

Basic requirements for laying gas pipes inside the bathhouse, the design of the stoves and the parameters of the room are specified in SNiP 2.04.08-87.

Construction of an external gas pipeline and connection features are regulated SNiP 42-01-2002.

Conditions for approval of the project by technical supervision

It is extremely rare that bathhouse owners manage to agree gas wiring, since their buildings do not meet the requirements. It is more correct to first create a project and then begin construction. Moreover, the building must be located on a solid foundation.

Old baths often have low ceilings. Due to this parameter alone, they are not suitable for gasification. A properly designed room has a distance between the floor and ceiling of more than 2 meters

The main criteria are the presence of an emergency exit, a transom for ventilation or an exhaust ventilation duct, and sufficient area. The volume of the room where the oven is located must be more than 8 cubic meters. And the passage next to it cannot be less than a meter wide.

Attention is also paid to the doors - each of them should open outward and have functional handles on both sides. The doors themselves can only be made of non-combustible materials. All this is taken into account when agreeing.

Equipment selection criteria

Not all types of stoves are suitable for installation in gasified baths. Only factory-made metal products are allowed, the design of which allows combustion products to be discharged into the chimney. Stone and brick-lined ovens are prohibited. Important points are the presence of a fuse that blocks the supply of fuel when the fire dies out and the tightness of the gas chamber.

It is worth noting that leading Russian manufacturers, such as "Ermak", "Termofor", "Teplodar" They produce approved models with excellent automation and high-quality components. While the products of European factories do not always successfully pass testing.

When purchasing, check the quality and safety certificates, check the product passport filled out by the manufacturer. It must contain marks indicating successful completion of technical control.

The stove should be serviced not in the steam room, but in the dressing room. Therefore, the design must have an external fuel channel.

Particular attention is paid to the type of jets: when using a main gas supply, expanded nozzles are required, while when using a propane mixture from a cylinder, narrowed nozzles are required.

Rules for installing a gas pipeline, stove, chimney

Installation rules include requirements not only for laying a gas pipeline, but also to the installation of a fire alarm. Highly sensitive carbon monoxide sensors can play this role.

The pipe outlet from the house should rise 2 meters above ground level and enter the dressing room at the same height. Laying under or inside the foundation is prohibited.

A valve is installed at the end of the pipe, which, in the event of depressurization of the equipment, will immediately ensure complete shutoff of the gas pipeline.

When choosing equipment for a bath, you should always pay attention to the permitted operating temperature. For example, many Chinese CO sensors are designed for temperatures up to 55 degrees

Particular attention is paid to the placement of furnaces. Wooden walls next to them must be insulated with non-combustible materials. An acceptable option is sheathing with thermal insulation and steel sheets.

The fireproof distance from the insulated wall to the product body is 60 cm.All other objects, ceilings, wall shelves must be at a distance of at least 110 cm from the walls of the stove.

The supporting base of the furnace must also be made of refractory material, protruding beyond the boundaries of the product by 10 cm or more. It is allowed to connect the stove to the chimney only with steel pipes.

According to paragraph 5.1.4 of SNiP 42-01-2002, joints of metal pipes must be permanent, welded. Detachable connections are allowed in places where gas equipment elements are connected

The installation of the chimney itself is also regulated. In places where they pass through the ceilings and walls of the bathhouse, it is necessary to lay fire-proof cuttings.

Very often expanded clay is used for this purpose. Bulk material easily fills space and has high fire-resistant characteristics.

Preparation of documents and obtaining permission

We have already mentioned that before starting construction it is worth checking the project and clarifying whether it is possible to supply gas to the bathhouse as intended by the owner. If everything is in order, construction can begin. A permit to build a bathhouse is not required. It is received only if the bathhouse is registered as garden house.

Then documents are prepared to obtain consent for gasification:

• application for the provision of technical conditions;
• passport and title documents of the owner of the site;
• calculation of maximum consumption in one hour;
• site plan or diagram;

If the gas pipeline is private property, then the consent of the owner must be attached. After the gas distribution company issues the specifications, you need to make adjustments and invite a gas service inspector.

If the building complies, he will issue a permit forgas management and equipment layout diagram.

Since gas workers are much more willing to issue permits for gasification of residential buildings, many owners register the bathhouse in this very status. This simplifies obtaining technical specifications and speeds up the process

You can do the same with an old bathhouse already built on the site. It is possible that to bring it into proper condition it will only be necessary to organize additional window openings and an emergency exit.

True, practice shows that the percentage of obtaining permits in such cases is extremely low.

Gas procedure, practical advice

The preparatory stage is the purchase of pipes, consumables and gas equipment. To gasify a bath according to the rules, you need to check the project and the received technical conditions.

The documents contain a calculation of the length of the pipes, an indication of their diameter, as well as the name and brand of permitted equipment. Experienced users advise purchasing pipes and consumables with a 30 percent reserve.

Stage No. 1 - installation of an external gas pipeline

Since it is recommended to install an external gas pipeline above ground, reliable supports will be required to secure the pipes. They must raise the gas pipeline above the ground by at least two meters.

The following requirements apply to supports:

• the distance between the supports is determined by the project;
• the strength of the structure should be calculated based on the gas pipeline’s own weight and the weight of possible ice with a coefficient of 1.2;
• the fastening part must correspond to the design dimensions of the pipe.

If the project specifies the installation of a gas pipeline with a slope, you can install metal spacers between the soles of the supports and embedded structures.The installation of such gaskets between the pipe and the support is prohibited.

The rules for placing supports also apply to the distance between them and the welds on gas pipes. This distance cannot be less than 5 cm

To protect against the effects of wet precipitation, the outer pipeline is painted with bright yellow oil paints. This is done by employees of the gas company that took over the installation.

But after they leave, many summer residents repaint the pipes in other colors that match the main palette of the site. This is prohibited.

Stage No. 2 - laying pipes inside

The internal gas pipeline must also consist of metal pipes. In places where they pass through the walls, it is necessary to drill holes and install embedded iron sleeves in them. Laying pipes through walls is permitted only through such sleeves.

When gasifying wooden buildings, this is extremely important, since any wood shrinks over time. And this is fraught with damage to the unprotected gas pipeline.

Holes for the gas pipeline are prohibited from being made between logs or beams, at their junction. They must be located inside solid wood

Fastening must be carried out using the products specified in the project. It is better to purchase fasteners in specialized stores, since regular retail outlets often offer analogues that do not meet the requirements.

To implement turning moments, it is important to use induction pipe bender - a device that allows you to change the angle by 90 degrees. The manual bending method with heating is not suitable in this case, as it can damage the structure of the metal.

At the points where gas equipment is connected, the end of the pipe is threaded. Filters are attached to this thread and shut-off valves are installed.During the final pressure testing, a specialist must check the tightness of these connections and the integrity of the welds.

Before performing welding work, you should make sure that you have a fire extinguisher, cover the wooden walls of the bathhouse and nearby buildings with asbestos or metal sheets

It is important to ensure that the gas pipes inside the bathhouse do not intersect with the electrical wire. The minimum distance between them is 10 cm. If water supply or sewerage is installed in the bathhouse, then it is necessary to maintain a distance of 2 cm between them and the gas pipeline branch.

Stage No. 3 - installation of the chimney

We have already discussed the rules for installing a gas stove. Therefore, the next step is the organization of the chimney. Gas companies also have special requirements for it.

During installation, it is recommended to ensure:

• lack of pipe joints in the ceilings - it is necessary to install the chimney so that the connections are located above or below the ceiling;
• the location of the pipes relative to the flammable elements of the building - the distance between them should not be less than 1 meter.

Above a flat roof, the chimney can protrude 1.2 meters or more. Above a roof with slopes, the minimum elevation value is 0.5 meters.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Having collected information on how to properly supply gas to a bathhouse, we found out that the law imposes strict requirements on the design, equipment parameters and installation conditions of the gas pipeline. Independent design and connection is prohibited. Therefore, from the moment the idea is conceived, it is worth getting advice from professionals.

In the video, a representative of one of the gas companies explains how to obtain permission to gasify residential and non-residential premises, lists the main stages and necessary documents:

If your bathhouse is already gasified and you have something to share with other owners of country estates, we invite you to participate in the discussion. In the form below you can ask questions, talk about your experience, and comment on key points. Take the chance to get useful information!