Service life of gas pipes: standards for the operation of gas communications
Gas is supplied to the end consumer in apartments and houses through a distribution network.Transportation is carried out through pipes for which certain GOST standards are established. The same standards establish the service life of gas pipes in residential buildings for their various types.
After the expiration of the operating period specified by the manufacturer, the gas pipeline must be completely replaced. This should be monitored by specialized control services, however, it would also be useful for consumers to know how long the pipes should be used, how to determine the degree of their wear and the need for replacement.
The content of the article:
- What does service life mean?
- Regulatory framework: what does the Law say?
- What factors influence the condition of gas pipelines?
- What are the signs that determine the need for replacement?
- What to do if the service life of the gas pipeline has expired?
- What to do to extend the service life?
- How to calculate wear rate?
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
What does service life mean?
Life time – this is the calendar duration of the period of use of the mains and gas pipeline branches connected to them from the beginning of commissioning of the system or after its repair until the transition to the limit state. Determined by its manufacturer gas pipes, as indicated in the certificate.
There is no universal service life limit as such. In each specific case, it is determined individually, since one gas pipeline is operated in favorable conditions, while the other is deformed and destroyed much faster due to the influence of external factors.
Regulatory framework: what does the Law say?
According to Order No. 558 dated November 21, 2013, which regulates safety rules when handling liquefied gas.
Technical inspection of an underground gas pipeline is carried out after the expiration of the estimated service life, which is for:
- steel pipes - 40 years;
- polyethylene pipes - 50 years.
Pipelines assembled from polymer pipes last longer due to higher resistance to mechanical and chemical influences, as well as the absence of prerequisites for the appearance and spread of mold.
In this case, during such diagnostics the following parameters should be checked:
- gas pipeline tightness;
- protective coating (for steel pipes);
- the condition of the material from which the gas pipeline is made;
- quality of welding at joints.
Early inspections are carried out only in case of accidents or receipt of reliable information about the deformation of gas pipelines underground.
Surveys are still carried out in accordance with the instructions from RD 204 of the RSFSR 3.3-87, approved back in 1987. The provisions contained in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of October 29, 2010 N 870, contain rather vague wording regarding this issue.
Thus, paragraph 76 states that the operational life is determined at the time of design, taking into account the conditions for ensuring the safety of objects, the forecast regarding changes in their parameters, as well as the guarantees for pipe products provided by the manufacturer.
In addition, this act states that the gas pipeline can be operated even after the expiration of its service life, if diagnostics did not reveal any serious malfunctions in the operation of the system or defects in the pipes. Based on the results of such diagnostics, the service life limits should be re-established.
Concerning external gas pipelines and equipment, then, as a rule, their service life is shorter. In any case, you should always pay attention to their working “experience”, which is indicated by the manufacturer.
For example, the manufacturer “Gazovik” for GRPSh-6, 10 and 10MS defines the following terms:
- average (before write-off) - 15 years;
- warranty period - 5 years.
But the First Gas Company in the passports for most of its gas distribution plants indicates a 20-year period, which, by the way, is the average for gas turbine installations.
What factors influence the condition of gas pipelines?
As the experience of leading Russian expert organizations shows, underground steel gas pipelines retain their physical and mechanical properties even after forty years of service. Welded joints are also kept within regulated limits so their service life is extended.
But this does not happen for all pipes and still not always, so you need to figure out what determines the condition of pipes with identical characteristics over time.
The actual state of the pipeline and the time it takes for it to reach the limiting state depends on:
- the correctness of engineering decisions made at the time of design;
- integrity of construction and installation work;
- quality of materials used in construction;
- level of soil corrosion activity;
- effectiveness of electrochemical protection;
- monitoring;
- regularity and quality of repairs, etc.
That is why pipes produced from the same factory with the same operating parameters can manifest themselves differently in operation over time.
What are the signs that determine the need for replacement?
The conditional standard service life was indicated above. They are “detached” from reality and are exemplary. In some cases, a gas pipeline may fail earlier, or it may last much longer than the average service life of gas pipes in industrial and residential buildings and industrial facilities.
In practice, the service life of a gas pipeline made of steel pipes is on average 30 years.
It is also worth noting that it is not possible to determine the condition of steel structures “by eye” by external signs. Utility service employees must carry out appropriate examinations and measurements.
Signs by which it can be determined that a gas pipeline needs pipe replacement are:
- thinning of the walls is higher than normal;
- change in the nature of connections at welding points;
- gas leak according to meter readings.
Their results are reflected in protocols, which the consumer has the right to review. In addition, he may require an oral explanation of the material presented.
What to do if the service life of the gas pipeline has expired?
If their service life expires, they must be repaired, which includes complete or partial replacement of elements.
If an inspection has already been carried out by competent persons and they have come to the conclusion that replacement needed, the consumer no longer needs to do anything. Repair work must be carried out by employees of GorGaz or other similar services servicing the facility.
To completely replace the gas pipeline, a mobile team is sent to the site to remove failed sections main passage to the common house pipe complex, and then looks at the situation.
Partial replacement of pipes in a multi-story building is carried out by cutting off old sections and placing new ones using welding.
Such events are carried out strictly in accordance with safety rules:
- Gas access to the pipes is blocked.
- From the site that will be replaced, gas must be completely removed in accordance with safe handling standards for hazardous facilities.
- The old section is cut off.
- Using welding, a new element is mounted in its place.
- The integrity and tightness of the area is being checked.
- Starting a gas flow through the pipe after they have been purged.
You cannot repair gas equipment yourself. This is a complex and dangerous process that can only be carried out by gas industry employees with the necessary equipment.
Moreover, the fact that such work was carried out, as well as the date of its implementation, must be entered into the technical passport, which notes all actions carried out with the system. This is necessary so that the service life of the new gas pipeline can subsequently be determined.
If the consumer has suspicions that the pipes have become unusable, he can make a request to the relevant utility services and wait for their employees to arrive, but in no case should they check their version without their presence.
What to do to extend the service life?
In fact, how long a gas pipeline will last depends, among other things, on the consumer.
To extend its service life, you must systematically follow simple rules:
- Rule #1. Timely inspection and inspection of pipes. To do this, you need to let the inspectors in and try to stay at home if the time of the inspection is announced in advance.
- Rule #2. Turning on equipment in the correct sequence. Carrying out gas system pressure testing according to instructions and safety rules. The consumer must know which valve is responsible for what. If you are not aware of this, it is better to consult the gas workers servicing your home.
- Rule #3. Urgent check if there is a suspected gas leak. You should call your gas service immediately. They are obliged to promptly leave for the specified address. Before their arrival, it is better to turn off the gas valve in the apartment.
You can check the leak yourself as follows: in areas of the pipes where the smell of gas is especially noticeable, coat the suspicious area with soap foam. If bubbles begin to swell in the area, there is most likely a leak.
However, this is not a 100% leak detection method, much less a professional one. But for domestic use in the absence of professional equipment, it is quite suitable and, as practice shows, quite effective.
If the above describes what needs to be done to extend the service life and normal operation of internal gas pipelines, then below we talk about what should not be done on the contrary:
- tie/wrap pipes with ropes;
- reinstall equipment/change sections of the gas pipeline yourself;
- check for leaks using open flame sources (lighters or matches);
- deform (twist/bend) the hoses connecting the system to the stove.
It is necessary to follow these rules not only in order to extend the “life” of your gas pipes, but also to eliminate the risks of dangerous situations.
How to calculate wear rate?
To achieve this, technically complex calculations are carried out.
Calculations are made to obtain the following characteristics:
- design stress σs;
- SDR pipes;
- wall thickness.
After this, the minimum long-term strength MRS* of the material from which the pipe is made to a safety factor (for pipeline calculations) C.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
For calculations, the strength determined at a temperature of 20 ° C for a service life of 50 years according to ISO 9080 is taken:
Compliance with the deadlines specified by building regulations and guaranteed by the manufacturer is necessary to ensure the safe operation and operation of the system. Checking the technical condition of the gas supply, which is classified as explosive communications, is a necessary measure. It will eliminate risks and a lot of problems.
Please write comments in the block below, post photos and ask questions about the topic of the article. Tell us about your experience in inspecting gas pipes and identifying their critical technical condition.Share useful information that may be useful to site visitors.
I bought a 3-room apartment on the second floor, and it turns out that from the entrance through the entire apartment to the kitchen, which is the farthest room, there is a gas pipeline running through the entire apartment to a common riser, I will cut it off and leave the neighbors without gas.
What should I do, do I have the right to cut it off? The house is 38 years old; the pipes have not been touched since construction.
You haven't. This is a design solution in all apartment buildings.
I DID NOT FIND AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION. ABOVE MY GAS STOVE IN THE APARTMENT, THE MAIN GAS MAIN PASSES FOR ALL 9 FLOORS - HOW MUCH IS THIS CORRECT? METAL HAS THE PROPERTIES OF TIRED FROM TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES
The gas pipeline in your apartment was installed according to the design decision in apartment buildings (installation of gas supply distribution pipelines along risers - on the second floor). The gas supply pipeline is installed at a height of at least 2 meters from the base of the floor, there is no significant positive temperature difference for steel pipes, metal fatigue can only manifest itself under significant physical stress on the steam pipeline - bending, compression, vibration, etc. According to SNiP, the first period operation of the gas pipeline until the next inspection (diagnosis) is set at 30 years, which can be extended several times depending on the results (condition of the pipelines).
The balcony is glazed and there is a transit gas pipe running through it. We have been painting and maintaining the pipe in perfect order for forty years, there have been no complaints from the gas industry (gas workers), not once in 40 years, the house is already 50 years old.Recently, warnings began to come that the gas pipe does not have round-the-clock access, etc. When we discussed the pipe, they were satisfied, good savings over 40 years, now apparently the service life is ending
The pipes are already 50 years old, so I decided to run into the residents and replace them at the residents’ expense. This pipeline does not fit into the building codes defined in 2002. If these pipes are replaced according to the old design, they will not work. We don’t know what to do, everything seems to be according to the law.
We bought an apartment in Tula at Oboronnaya 87, as it turned out the house was built in 1968 and there were rotten pipes and gas soldered in several places in the apartment and the heating risers were never changed, the housing department said that they are not responsible for this and for the gas pipe too, the city gas says there are no leaks, no problems, but it’s clear that the pipe in the apartment is 55 years old, it’s clear that the thin walls of the pipe and the solder joints do not inspire confidence.. Nobody cares, the housing inspector answered on the speakerphone in the white house, paint the pipes.. Shame on you, central district Tula and such incompetent authorities... Where is Moscow looking above the organization??? Lawlessness, and then you will make an excuse that people cannot use gas!! Where does the capital repairs collect money? In your pockets???!