The gas supply of a residential building determines a certain level of comfort for the inhabitants of the home. Country houses equipped with a centralized gas supply are considered more comfortable.
For property owners who are unable to connect to a centralized network, there is an alternative. This is the installation of a gas tank - a structure designed to provide an autonomous system with gas. Let's look at the design and installation of gas tanks for the home together.
What is a gas holder?
The technical classification of the household gas tank device defines it as a liquefied gas storage device. Thus, the household gas holder appears to be a vessel designed for filling and storing liquefied gas.
Of course, for such purposes a reservoir is used that meets the requirements for such installations. In addition, liquefied gas gas holders are equipped with a full set of automatic tools that ensure safety during the operation of dangerous vessels.
This is one of the possible modifications of a household gas tank - a tank for liquefied gas, widely used by private households as a source of cheap energy
Hence the explanation suggests itself: the workers and employees of special organizations are called upon to establish, put into operation and conduct periodic monitoring of the gas tank. This is comparable approximately to the case of everyday life, when a gas boiler or gas column is installed in the house.
Well, and in addition to the help: usually gas tanks are refilled with a liquefied butane propane mixture. These are low molecular weight hydrocarbons, a characteristic feature of which is an easy transition from a liquid state to a gaseous state. The frequency of the gas tank refueling process, as a rule, is not more often than 1-2 times per calendar year.
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Gas boiler room in a private house
Gas convector in heating
Gas cylinder water heater
Cooking equipment
We also recommend that you read the article in which we examined in detail the issue of the cost of installing a gas tank on the site. Read more - read on.
Tank Mounting Options
Variations of the installation of gas holders are limited in two ways:
- Surface mounted.
- Installation underground.
For the first installation option, a characteristic condition is the installation in places of the territory of a private economy, where the sun's rays penetrate in a small volume. A site is also selected that is protected as much as possible from external environmental factors (strong wind, landslides, soil movements, etc.).
There are no specific requirements for tank capacity. The volume of the gas tank is completely determined by consumer needs and the wishes of the owners of a country house.
A foundation pit with a household gas tank immersed in it. The tank is fastened with tape ties. The tank body is treated with a protective coating. Automation is mounted under the cap
Underground gas holders are mounted below ground level. The deepening of the tanks is carried out to a depth when the upper level of the vessel is at the deepening point of at least 0.6 m from the ground surface.
At the same level with the ground surface or a little higher, only the tank filling neck remains. Under such conditions of deepening, the possible freezing of the reservoir during the winter period of time is excluded, plus the gas tank is reliably protected from possible mechanical influences.
Regardless of the type of installation, the location of gas holders on a household site is allowed no closer than 10 meters from residential buildings and various technical communications.
The project for installing a tank for liquefied gas should provide easy convenient approaches / entrances for gas refueling, maintenance. The presence of any engineering communications in the immediate vicinity of the structure is not allowed.
The main design parameter for installation in a private household is the volume of the gas tank. According to the standards, the calculation is carried out with an emphasis on a square meter of usable area of the home. The average gas flow rate for temperate regions does not exceed 35 m3 on 1 m2. From here you can calculate the approximate volume of the tank.
Standard parameters that should be used to install household gas tanks. There may be some deviation from the standards in the direction of increase, but insignificant. Parameters directly depend on tank sizes
A more accurate figure of the volume is obtained if we calculate the value of gas consumption by the heating boiler. Here, simply an indicator of the rated power of the heating equipment is taken from the passport information and multiplied by the required gas flow. Then calculate the annual fuel demand.
When performing the calculations, one should take into account the fact that gas holders are filled with liquid gas no more than 85% of the tank volume.
Installation work
The lion's share of domestic gas tank installations is traditionally performed in the underground version. Such installation is considered more acceptable from the point of view of safety, plus a hidden gas tank does not spoil the landscape view.
The scheme on the basis of which the design for the classic installation of household gas tanks is carried out using the installation option by deepening into the soil area. Based on this scheme, the majority of gas autonomous stations
Also, taking into account the rather harsh climatic conditions of the middle lane, installation of gas tanks in the underground version is given more preference. So there are fewer problems with maintaining the device in working condition at low winter temperatures.
The stages of the underground installation work and the sequence of their implementation will be demonstrated by the following photo gallery:
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Step 1: Development of a pit for a gas tank
Step 2: Delivery of gas tanks to the facility
Step 3: filling the pillow at the bottom of the pit
Step 4: Pouring the Concrete Slab
Step 5: Diving the gas holders into the pit
Step 6: Filling the pit with soil
Step 7: Arranging the neck of the gas tank
Step 8: Install Fencing Around Gas Tanks
How to mount a buried tank?
Having chosen a place suitable for all requirements on the territory of a private economy, they organize work on marking the site, installing and excavating the soil. The dimensions of the future foundation pit that should be used for the gas tank are determined on the basis of the tank documentation.
The manufactured pit is additionally prepared for loading the tank:
- strengthen the bottom;
- put at the bottom of the pit a frame for the foundation with anchor fasteners;
- fill the frame with concrete, including the base of the anchor rods.
After the concrete has solidified, installation of the tank begins. For massive gas holders, crane rental may be required. Small gas tanks are lowered into the pit using winches or similar tools.
Unloading the gas tank with a truck crane and then installing the tank in the prepared foundation pit. For the installation of smaller tanks, manual lifting equipment is often used.
The tank lowered into the pit is placed on the anchor pins of the foundation, aligned horizontally, using linings under the paws, fixed. For fastening tanks, the design of which is without supporting legs, use metal bands or cables.
Electrochemical protection of gas tanks
At the next stage of installation of the gas tank, work is carried out on the corrosion protection device. Conventional protection methods are not suitable here. Need high-quality electrochemical technology.
As a rule, one of two methods of electrochemical protection is used:
- Active.
- Tread.
Active electrochemical protection is often used on tanks manufactured at Russian enterprises. This protection option is most effective for metal susceptible to corrosion (in particular, steel 09G2S). It is from this type of metal that gas tanks of Russian production are made.
This is how the scheme of active electrochemical protection of a gas tank looks like, which is used with domestic tanks. The cost option, given the need for constant consumption of electricity by the circuit
The cathode protection is carried out by an electric circuit, the power consumption of which is 0.75 - 0.90 kW. Quite an expensive station for a private household, but no other solution has yet been invented.
An alternative for an active protection station is the tread anode / cathode system. This design also has its drawbacks, but saves the consumer from the cost of electricity. It is applied complete with tanks of import production. The principle of operation of such a system is based on the "interception" of active corrosion by a metal having a high electronegative potential (for example, aluminum).
A variant of the electrochemical protection of the tread type used with most imported products. It does not require electricity, but there is a need to replace the working element as it wears out
For both methods of electrochemical protection, appropriate calculations are needed with an emphasis on the type of capacity, its overall dimensions and other factors. The calculations determine the installation location of the electrochemical protector or the power of the active cathodic protection. At the design stage of the installation of the gas tank, this moment must be taken into account.
Tread systems are seen as more attractive in terms of economy. But they can not be applied to all types of tanks.
Grounding and lightning protection
The grounding functions of gas tanks, in fact, can take on the electrochemical protection system. However, from a lightning bolt, a household gas tank must be protected individually in any case.
In relation to the installation of the installation, the following actions are possible here:
- Ground loop fabrication.
- Installation and deepening of the contour along the perimeter of the pit to a depth of at least 1.8 m.
- If necessary (for moving soils) reinforcement of the contour with reinforcing elements.
You can read the detailed instructions on how to make a ground loop with your own hands in this material.
Ultimately, all the mounting elements included in the gas distribution system must be combined into a common ground loop to ensure comprehensive protection (according to PB 12-609-03). The value of the resistance of the general circuit is allowed at the level of 10 ohms and no more.
Industrial gas tank, reliably protected immediately by a group of lightning rods. In the case of a domestic tank, usually only one lightning conductor is required. But in any case, lightning protection is required
A lightning rod is installed at a distance of at least 12 m from the border of the foundation pit of the gas tank and connected to the ground loop. The mast height of the lightning rod is made at least 7 m.
Completion of the gas storage system
After completing all installation activities for the installation of the gas tank, the system must be checked for leaks. It is permissible to pressure test with compressed air. The value of the test pressure is taken from the calculation of the working pressure of the tank (in the passport), increased by one and a half times. To set the test pressure, an air compressor is connected to the tank.
The process of crimping a gas tank installed on the territory of one of the private farms. On the same line, after the installation is put into operation, liquefied propane butane will be pumped into the tank
A set of pressure should be carried out in a smooth phase. In this case, it is absolutely necessary to control the pressure level by pressure gauges. One pressure gauge is placed directly on the outlet fitting of the compressor, the second on the upper side of the tank body.
After a set pressure level corresponding to the test value, stop the compressor, turn off the valve on the air supply line and leave the system for 5-6 hours exposure. Then check the pressure drop. If the drop is greater than 0.5 - 0.8 ATI, the system has a leak. A drop below these values indicates satisfactory sealing.
The gas holder installed and tested for tightness is filled with river sand. Backfill is done at 80% of the pit depth. The rest is covered with soil
After completing the crimping, begin to backfill the pit with the tank. Backfill is carried out with fine river sand to the level of 0.3-0.5 m below ground level. Having filled the sand throughout the area of the pit, the embankment is carefully tamped or allowed to settle for 1-2 days.
The installation of a tank for storage and consumption of gas is not considered complete if the following work has not been completed:
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The device for introducing a gas pipe into the house
Installation of gas equipment
Installation of a chimney system
Connection of gas appliances
Then the remaining upper area of the pit is covered with incoherent soil to the surface level of the entire territory. The last stage is crimping the gas supply line to the building. With the normal completion of the crimping, the installation can be considered completed.
Briefly and succinctly about the autonomous gas supply of a private economy:
Judging by the description of the design and installation process, it is quite possible to provide a private house with an autonomous gas station with small forces and costs acceptable for the family budget. And quite a few owners of suburban real estate, remote from centralized gas communications, use this opportunity. The result is obvious - convenience and increased living comfort.
Do you have practical experience in using and installing gas tanks? Or want to ask a question about the topic of an article? Please leave comments, ask questions, share your experience in the block under the article.