EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BUILDING WITH PROPANE
THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO BUILD WITH PROPANE. This step-by-step guide will help you navigate through the many things you will need to think about in advance including tank sizes and location, load calculations, and end usage to ensure you install the right equipment for your needs. And, when you partner with Gault Energy, you can rest assured knowing we will be there for you every step of the way, from helping you determine what solutions best meet your needs, to installing all necessary equipment, obtaining all required permits, and delivering fuel for the tank. So next time you build with propane, build with propane from Gault Energy.
PROPERLY SIZING TANKS Many factors go into determining the required tank size. Determine the BTU rating per hour for all appliances. Seasonal appliances? (pool heater and furnace usually don’t run simultaneously) If heating the home with propane, what is the square footage of the area that will be heated? (Rule of thumb is 50-60% of sq. ft. = numbers of gallons annually)
If planning on installing a generator, what size and what is the optimal run time customer is seeking? (recommended 6-7 days) Using charts below, decide what your monthly or daily usage will be. FUEL HEAT CURVE
GENERATOR USAGE Load (kW)
BTU/Hr
LP Gal/Hr
NG Ft3/Hr
NG Therms/Hr
Month
Percent
5
110,000
1.2
110
1.1
January
20.6%
10
156,000
2
156
1.6
February
16.1%
15
231,800
2.5
220
2.2
20
294,000
2.9
294
2.6
March
11.8%
25
345,000
3.8
345
3.2
April
6.9%
30
418,300
4.5
417
4.2
May
3.8%
35
485,000
5.1
485
4.8
June
2.3%
40
550,000
6.1
550
5.5
July
1.8%
50
655,000
7.5
655
6.7
August
2.6%
60
836,600
9
862
8.6
September
3.3%
70
1,035,700
11
1,020
10.2
80
1,170,000
12.7
1,154
11.5
October
5.3%
90
1,200,000
13
1,200
12
November
9.2%
100
1,280,000
13.8
1,260
12.6
December
16.3%
110
1,550,000
17.1
1,550
15.5
120
1,675,000
18.5
1,675
16.7
130
1,800,000
19.5
1,786
17.8
140
1,925,000
21.3
1,925
19.2
150
2,050,000
22.7
2,050
20.5
200
2,800,000
30.9
2,800
28
300
4,100,000
45.3
4,100
49
Other incidentals such as fireplaces, cooktops, dryers, and grills are not as important when figuring run times because they are nonessential or low volume users. Once the above calculations are determined, the BTU per hour must be paired with the Vaporization Rate Chart to determine the tank size.
TANK SIZES AND VAPORIZATION RATE The most common sizes for new homes are 500 and 1,000 gallon tanks. When more volume is needed, multiple tanks can easily be paired together. Vaporization Rate is the rate at which the liquid propane can turn into a gaseous form. Two things directly affect the vaporization rate: Air temperature Volume of liquid in tank In simplest terms, the lower both of these go, the less vaporization (BTU’s per hour)
The chart below is based on an outside temperature of 20 degrees, which is a safe bet in this area for underground tanks. UG VAPORIZATION IN BTU/HR PER TANK SIZE +20 DEG F
% Filled
200# V
420# V
120
250
320
500
1,000
1,450
1,990
60
158,400
270,000
326,400
552,000
684,000
888,000
1,558,000 1,913,600 2,640,400
50
142,560
243,000
293,760
496,800
615,600
799,200
1,402,200 1,722,240 2,376,360
40
126,720
216,000
261,120
441,600
547,200
710,400
1,246,400 1,530,880 2,112,320
30
110,880
189,000
228,480
386,400
478,800
621,600
1,090,600 1,339,520 1,848,280
20
95,040
162,000
195,840
331,200
410,400
532,800
934,800
10
71,280
121,500
146,880
248,400
307,800
399,600
701,100
1,148,160 1,584,240
861,120
1,188,180
TANK LOCATIONS All underground tanks follow the guidelines in NFPA 58 Below Underground tanks in a flood zone must be anchored down to a concrete pad. Engineer stamped drawings are required along with Flood Certification letters. (All of which can be provided by Gault Energy) Any above-ground tanks fall into the guidelines of the Local Jurisdiction (Planning and Zoning)
Underground Conatiner Notes: 1) The relief valve, filling connection and liquid fixed liquid level gauge vent connection at the container must be at least 10 ft from any exterior source of ignition, openings into direct-vent gas appliances, or mechanical ventilation air intakes. 2) No part of the underground container shall be less than 10 ft from any important building or line of adjoining property that can be built upon.
TANK INSTALLATION Tanks need to be set in hole and gas lines run in trench with an air test on it for inspection. The size of the gas line is determined by the length of the run and the total BTU’s required. One of the most important components of an installation is the Anode Bag for Cathodic Protection: The earth has a natural electrical current that occurs in water and land alike. These electrical currents have an adverse effect on metal objects that are in the ground or the water. This adverse effect is called electrolysis and will literally drill a small hole through a metal object. To protect the tank from electrolysis, an anode bag is attached by wire to the tank and is placed in the hole with the tank before it is backfilled (below the center line of the tank and at least two feet away from the tank). The sacrificial anode bag acts as a decoy for the damaging currents that can harm a tank in an underground environment. Each 500 gallon tank requires one anode bag and each 1,000 gallon tank requires two bags. The tank must be completely backfilled in sand once inspection is complete.
TRINITY CONTAINERS, LLC UNDERGROUND TANKS
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS Conforms to the last edition and addenda of the ASME, Section VIII, Division 1. Complies with NFPA 58. Container pressure rated at 250 psig from -20 ° F. to 125 ° F. All tanks may be evacuated to a full (14.7 psi) vacuum. Vessel finish: Coated with TGIC red powder. Applicable federal, state or local regulations may contain specific requirements for protective coatings and cathodic protection. The purchaser and installer are responsible for compliance with all federal, state or local regulations. Including proper purging for first fill per NGPA 133-89 (a). UNDERGROUND VESSEL DIMENSIONAL INFORMATION All vessels dimensions are approximate WATER CAPACITY
OUTSIDE DIAMETER
OVERALL LENGTH
OVERALL HEIGHT
WEIGHT (APPROX.)
120 wg. 454.2 L
24” 609.6 mm
5’- 5 7/8” 1673.2 mm
4’ - 6 3/4” 1390.7 mm
260 lbs. 117.9 kg.
250 wg. 946.3 L
31.5” 800.1 mm
7’ - 2 1/2” 2197.1 mm
5’ - 2 1/16” 1576.4 mm
490 lbs. 222.3 kg.
320 wg. 1211.2 L
31.5” 800.1 mm
8’ - 11 3/4” 2736.9 mm
5’ 2 1/16” 1576.4 mm
610 lbs. 276.7 kg.
500 wg. 1892.5 L
37.42” 950.5 mm
9’ - 10” 2997.2 mm
5’ - 8 1/8” 1730.4 mm
920 lbs. 417.3 kg.
1000 wg. 5545 L
40.96” 1040.4 mm
15’ - 10 7/8” 4848.2 mm
6’ - 0” 1730.4 mm
1760 lbs. 798.3 kg.
1465 wg. 5545 L
46.77” 1188 mm
17’ - 6 7/8” 5356.2 mm
6’ - 5” 1955.3 mm
2830 lbs. 1283.7 kg.
2000 wg. 7570 L
46.77” 1184 mm
23’ - 9” 7239 mm
6’ - 5” 1955.3 mm
3520 lbs. 1596.6 kg.
Riser Height 28”
Date: March 23, 2011
FINAL CONNECTIONS Once the inspection of the tank and gas line in the trench is complete, it is now time to set the regulators. The first stage regulator is set at the tank and reduces the pressure from tank pressure down to 10 lbs. This 10lbs of pressure travels to the second stage regulator which is attached to the plumber’s stub-out or the exterior appliance. The second stage regulator reduces the pressure further down to 11” water column. The placement of a regulator must follow the guidelines of NFPA 58. SECOND STAGE REGULATOR INSTALLATION MINIMUM DISTANCES
5 foot minimum from relief discharge to a source of ignition or mechanical air intake.
3 foot minimum from relief discharge to any building opening.
**In order for a final connection to take place, all appliances must be installed or lines capped. All ports on a manifold must have shut off valves and plugs if not in use. This will enable the technician to perform a leak test to ensure the safety of the entire system.
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