Gas Meter vault

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
We have an unusual situation, where we have to pass a conduit through a natural gas meter vault. The The only thing contained in the vault is the meter, no overpressure devices or the like. The vault is under a sidewalk with a metal grate covering it. Since during normal operation there is no release of gases It should not have to be a hazardous location. The inspector is also unsure of this also. Installing seal offs on this conduit would be very hard due to space limitations where it exits the vault to the building. Anybody had this problem before?
 
Are the dimmensions such that you could bring an unbroken section of conduit thru the vault ? Then it would be a non-issue, I believe.
 
I agree with augie, would also suggest you make sure you are not in violation of any gas codes that may apply.

Many of us complain about other trades creating violations for us with their work, lets not do it to them.
 
hillbilly1 said:
Since during normal operation there is no release of gases It should not have to be a hazardous location.
Click to expand...

Hazardous locations also include the possibility of a non-normal operation. I would assume your location is classified.

Why can't you just go around the vault? Or is the conduit feeding something in the vault??
 
augie47 said:
Are the dimmensions such that you could bring an unbroken section of conduit thru the vault ? Then it would be a non-issue, I believe.
Click to expand...

Thought of that, but the vault is 17' long. I am not at that job, just going by what the project manager is telling me. It does not feed anything in the vault, it just passes thru. I think the meter feeds the city's auditorium complex, and we have to get this conduit out to the parking deck from what I am gathering.
 
You'll probably want to check NFPA 54: National Fuel Gas Code. I did, however, do some quick searches for basement and vault and didn't find anything useful.

I'm thinking that it would be considered Class I, Div 2 since it would only be exposed to under abnormal conditions.

Jason
 
Would a gas line be allowed to be run through a transformer vault? There has to be a reason for the vaults existance. Make sure you are not violating other codes besides electrical codes.
 
UL permits listed RMC in any trade size, in any length, with or without couplings, with or without threads. Having said that, you will have a very tough time getting anything less than 2" trade size for youe application, but I suppose it's possible.
 
rbalex said:
UL permits listed RMC in any trade size, in any length, with or without couplings, with or without threads. Having said that, you will have a very tough time getting anything less than 2" trade size for youe application, but I suppose it's possible.
Click to expand...

I kinda figured that, but then it would be possible to sleeve the 1 1/4" in shorter lengths inside the 2". Thanks for making me think of that!:)
 
steve66 said:
Hazardous locations also include the possibility of a non-normal operation. I would assume your location is classified.

Why can't you just go around the vault? Or is the conduit feeding something in the vault??
Click to expand...

Correct. Unless the mechanical installation consist of welded pipe and no source of potential leakage it could be unclassified. Otherwise it is Class I, Division 2. If it is below grade, then it should be Division 1. I would demand that an engineer, who is familiar with EAC, is to evaluate the Classification and document it. You electrical installation then can proceed according to whatever the engineer had concluded.
 
steve66 said:
Hazardous locations also include the possibility of a non-normal operation. I would assume your location is classified.
Click to expand...

So in a dwelling with any gas appliances, because the gas pipe or appliance could leak gas into the dwelling, which would be non-normal operation, we should install appropriate hazardous location wiring methods? Leaks probably occur more often in buildings where things are subject to physical damage than in a vault where no one hardly ever disturbs anything not even dust bunnies.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top