Thread: copper and natural gas

Some jurisdictions in our area will not allow copper for use with natural gas. Can anyone shed some light on were to find a national code to reference, we currently call it out as a possible safety issue and leave it to the buyers and sellers to duke it out. What is everyone else doing?

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From the IRC:

G2414.5.2 (403.5.2) Copper tubing.
Copper tubing shall comply with standard Type K or L of ASTM B 88 or ASTM B 280.

Copper and brass tubing shall not be used if the gas contains more than an average of 0.3 grains of hydrogen sulfide per 100 standard cubic feet of gas (0.7 milligrams per 100 liters).

Originally Posted by Don Hawley

Some jurisdictions in our area will not allow copper for use with natural gas. Can anyone shed some light on were to find a national code to reference, we currently call it out as a possible safety issue and leave it to the buyers and sellers to duke it out. What is everyone else doing?

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

From the IRC:

G2414.5.2 (403.5.2) Copper tubing.
Copper tubing shall comply with standard Type K or L of ASTM B 88 or ASTM B 280.

Copper and brass tubing shall not be used if the gas contains more than an average of 0.3 grains of hydrogen sulfide per 100 standard cubic feet of gas (0.7 milligrams per 100 liters).

Don,

The primary problem here is that home inspectors are generalists and there is some specific information that we may not know. JP points out the H₂S requirements; however, unless you contact your gas supplier, you are not going to know what the local content is - and you cannot foresee if it will change sometime down the road. As a result, it is easiest to recommend it be changed out. Unless the gas supply for the whole house is plumbed with copper, the correction is straightforward.

Originally Posted by Gunnar Alquist

Don,

The primary problem here is that home inspectors are generalists and there is some specific information that we may not know. JP points out the H₂S requirements; however, unless you contact your gas supplier, you are not going to know what the local content is - and you cannot foresee if it will change sometime down the road. As a result, it is easiest to recommend it be changed out. Unless the gas supply for the whole house is plumbed with copper, the correction is straightforward.

Thanks guys

We were getting mixed messages and needed some clarification

Don Hawley
www.HawleyHomeInspectionsLLC.com