Is this classified?

[Hendrix]

A home owner wants to use an 8' diameter concrete tank, burried, to put his natural gas for his spa heater into (I suppose the heater would also go in there). It's esentially a septic tank.
He also wants to have the pump for the spa in the tank. Would this be a problem?

 

[DanZ]

Well, you're the inspector...

Personally, I don't think it will work. I'd worry about the Methane seeping out. If they want to do something, let them use something specifically designed to hold Natural Gas.

 

[Hendrix]

Well, you're the inspector...

Yeh, I am. Just trying to get some input before I make a decision.

 

[ultramegabob]

Is this an electrical question?

 

[weressl]

A home owner wants to use an 8' diameter concrete tank, burried, to put his natural gas for his spa heater into (I suppose the heater would also go in there). It's esentially a septic tank.
He also wants to have the pump for the spa in the tank. Would this be a problem?

Following the NFPA guyidelines yes it would require classification.

 

[rbalex]

1. How is the natural gas being delivered?
2. Is the natural gas actually going to be stored in the vault. If so, how?
3. Instead of supposing, do you KNOW the heater will be installed in the vault?
4. Is the vault ventilated in any way?
5. What does his homeowner's insurance company say?
6. Who will properly document the electrical area classification? (Which is required to be produced before you get involved, in the first place.)

Until these questions, and possibly a few more, are answered, who knows?

 

[Hendrix]

1. How is the natural gas being delivered?
2. Is the natural gas actually going to be stored in the vault. If so, how?
3. Instead of supposing, do you KNOW the heater will be installed in the vault?
4. Is the vault ventilated in any way?
5. What does his homeowner's insurance company say?
6. Who will properly document the electrical area classification? (Which is required to be produced before you get involved, in the first place.)

Until these questions, and possibly a few more, are answered, who knows?

1 Piped from the house
2 No
3 Yes
4 probably
5 Don't know yet
6 Electrician

 

[rbalex]

This installation is within the Scope of NFPA 54, the National Fuel Gas Code. If the installation is designed, installed and maintained consistently with it and if they were all that needed to be asked, the answers to the first three questions may have permitted the installation to be unclassified.

Lack of specificity with Questions 4 and 5 is definitely not good.

If you can?t determine the electrical area classification, do you really believe the electrician can?

This is DIY from the designer perspective and so far no one qualified seems to be involved.

To be honest, if qualified persons designed and installed it, it probably doesn?t need to be classified assuming closed piping; but that isn?t the only concern: Has the design been reviewed from a confined space perspective?

Get the insurance company involved and get their blessing.

 

[Hendrix]

Thank you much