How do I calculate natural gas pipe size?
Method for determining correct pipe sizing per 1216.1. (1) Compute CFM demand for all appliances Maximum gas demand of outlet A: 32 cubic feet per hour (from Table 1). 35,000BTU/1,100 BTU2 = 32 Maximum gas demand of outlet B: 3000/1,100 = 3 3 cubic feet per hour (from Table 1).
How many Btu can a 3/4 natural gas line carry?
Capacity of Pipe (BTU x 1000) at ½ psi Copper | ||
---|---|---|
Nominal Pipe Size COPPER (in) | Pipe Length (ft.) | |
1/2 (5/8) | 150 | 70 |
5/8 (3/4) | 265 | 125 |
3/4 (7/8) | 380 | 180 |
What are 3 factors that determine acceptable gas piping size?

To determine the size of piping used in a gas piping system, the following factors must be considered: (1) Allowable loss in pressure from point of delivery to equipment. (2) Maximum gas demand. (3) Length of piping and number of fittings.
How many Btus is a 3/8 gas line?
33,400 BTU
Stainless Steel Gas Connector 3/8 in. O.D. (33,400 BTU)
How many BTUs do I need for a 1 inch gas line?
Natural Gas Example: A burner that requires 374,000 BTU would need a 1” pipe for a 30′ long run. Liquid Propane gas flow is given in thousands of BTU/hour. One cubic foot of LP gas = 2516 BTU’s.

What size should gas pipe be?
Gas pipes can vary in size (15mm, 22mm, 28mm or 35mm) depending on the distance between the boiler and the meter, the boiler manufacturer and the type of boiler. The size will ultimately dictate how much gas is able to make its way through the pipe to the boiler.
How line sizing is done?
Line sizing is one of the most important and critical activities done by a process engineer for any project. Piping is a major cost component in any process plant and it may vary between 5-15% of the total plant investment and optimum design may result in considerable cost reductions.
What is line sizing criteria?
When sizing lines the sizing criteria shall be minimum life cycle cost, this may include evaluation of functional requirements, cost of piping, weight, CO2-tax, energy costs, mechanical and process limitations, expected lifetime of piping, maintenance cost etc.
How do you calculate BTU for natural gas?
To get BTU from cubic feet, multiply cubic x feet 1100 (45.5 cubic feet x 1100 = 50,000 BTU.)
Why is gas pipe sizing important?
The size of the pipe dictates the amount of gas that can pass through it. Gas pipes must be large enough to allow an adequate supply of gas to flow through them—as undersized gas lines will cause incomplete combustion—but not so large that the gas pressure is not high enough to meet the demands of appliances.
Can you oversize a gas pipe?
Sizing a gas line is not too difficult. It is easier to start at the last appliance and work your way back to the as meter and/or regulator. The main pipe size will increase as a branch is added and increase again as another branch is added.
What PSI is natural gas at home?
The natural gas pressure of the gas line leading to the home ranges from approximately 1/4 psi to 60 psi, depending on the number of homes or businesses served by the line. This compares to pressures of up to 1,500 psi for large-volume pipelines used to move the gas from the well fields to the local utilities.
What is meant by pipe sizing?
The term sizing of a piping system refers to the completion of two independent design functions: the fluid flow design and the pressure-integrity design. The purpose of the fluid flow design is to determine the minimum acceptable inside diameter of the various segments of the piping system.
Why pipe sizing is important?
Optimizing the pipe size and velocity of the fluid not only improves the system efficiency but can also increase the service life. Some of the issues faced during increased velocity and undersized piping: High velocity in pipelines promotes corrosion/pitting; piping may be repaired or replaced sooner than expected.
What is the recommended velocity range of gases and vapors in standard pipe service?
Typical fluid flow velocities for common liquids, gases and vapors.
Fluid | Typical Velocity | |
---|---|---|
(ft/min) | (m/s) | |
Natural gas, , steel pipe | 6000 | 30 |
Oil lubricating, steel pipe | 300 | 1.5 |
Oxygen, stainless steel | 1800 – 4000 | 9 – 20 |
How many BTUs are in a ton of natural gas?
BTU Conversion Guide
Electricity (MWH) | 3,410 BTUs/kilowatt hour |
---|---|
Natural Gas (cu. ft. 000’s) | 100,000 BTUs/therm. |
LPG/Propane (gal. 000’s) | 91,600 BTU/gallon |
Coal (short ton) | 24,580,000 BTUs/short ton |
Purchased Steam (BTUs) | 1,000 BTUs/pound |
What happens when gas pipe is undersized?
Gas pipes must be large enough to allow an adequate supply of gas to flow through them—as undersized gas lines will cause incomplete combustion—but not so large that the gas pressure is not high enough to meet the demands of appliances.
What happens if you oversize a pipe?
Oversized piping may contribute to health risks such as Legionella, sewage clogs, and odor fade. As time moves forward, plumbing fixtures and the use of plumbing systems changes, and new risks are discovered and studied.
q = 3550 k ( h / l SG)1/2 (1) where. q = natural gas volume flow (cfh) h = pressure drop (in Water Column) l = length of pipe (ft) k = [d5 / (1 + 3.6 / d + 0.03 d)]1/2. d = inside diameter pipe (in) SG = specific gravity. For natural gas the nominal BTU/cf varies from about 900 to 1100 BTU/cf.
How do you calculate the size of a gas pipe?
A cubic inch = 1 inch x 1 inch x 1 inch.
What size is a natural gas pipe?
What is the pipe size for natural gas? For natural gas, pipelines are constructed of carbon steel and vary in size from 2 to 60 inches (51 to 1,524 mm) in diameter, depending on the type of pipeline. What size is black gas pipe?
How to read our natural gas pipe sizing chart?
pressure less than 1 1/2 psig