Natural Gas help

[Sda1416]

Hello, newbie question. I installed a “T” inside my garage at the water heater connection for a quick connect for a generator.

All the connections are good and leak tested, however on initial trial of generator, I noticed that the pilot for the water heater went out. I assume the pull for the feed to the generator was greater than the water heater.

Is there a way to balance this out?

 

[havasu]

You should tee off the gas meter. You are too close to an appliance to connect a generator.

 

[Sda1416]

You should tee off the gas meter. You are too close to an appliance to connect a generator.

Perfect! That’s what I was thinking too. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Geofd]

Your tee should be a home run from the meter before any fixtures

 

[Sda1416]

Your tee should be a home run from the meter before any fixtures

I was thinking that due to the consumption of gas.

 

[Geofd]

I was thinking that due to the consumption of gas.

Yes

 

[MicEd69]

This video shows a very good way to size the various branches of a natural gas system in a house.
https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...DBDC8517384D8A94CE01DBDC8517384D8A&ajaxhist=0

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

Hello, newbie question. I installed a “T” inside my garage at the water heater connection for a quick connect for a generator.

All the connections are good and leak tested, however on initial trial of generator, I noticed that the pilot for the water heater went out. I assume the pull for the feed to the generator was greater than the water heater.

Is there a way to balance this out?

I JUST completed (with help from a smart, skilled, licensed plumber familiar with gas lines) a very similar situation. See the thread from October: https://www.plumbingforums.com/thre...ts-generator-and-water-heater-together.26726/

As @Twowaxhack basically pointed out early in the thread the device consumption (btu/hr) plus the distance from the meter are critical. You cannot randomly “tee” off a gas line without some calculations. Thankfully my plumber rose to the challenge, did the calculations and figured out the least costly way to do it.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Most of the time when I pipe a generator or tankless water heater I have to run a dedicated line from the meter as those two items typically use a lot of gas. Sometimes we even have to upgrade the gas meter or increase the pressure and add regulators at each gas outlet.

 

[Ludington]

When I installed my generator, it was the only thing on the gas line. But it required a high pressure 2# line. Seems like at 11-15 inches water column. I later added a grill and a gas stove. Seperate regulators for each.
No troubles until I was trying to grill with the generator running. It didn't want to lte .
I thought I needed a new regulator, talked with the gas company and sent him a picture.
He told me it was installed upside down... but I should have plenty of gas available.
I flipped the regulator and problem dissapeared.
Never realized the regulators were positional.
Inspector must have been blind.