(A) The responsibility of the city for maintenance and safety of natural gas piping terminates at the outside residential wall in accordance with state law.
(B) (1) All house or mobile home piping shall be of rigid construction. The pipe from the outlet of the meter shall be of black iron pipe of not less than one inch inside diameter and shall enter the outside vertical house wall or mobile home skirt. The pipe shall be secured or anchored by means of suitable metal strap or clamp at a point not more than 18 inches from the meter outlet and shall be fastened to the wall at intervals sufficient to make the piping rigid throughout. All piping from the meter shall be securely fastened so that the pipe will not turn when fittings are installed at the meter. The final tie-in of the gas line to the meter shall be made by the city.
(2) Gas will not be turned on to any customer manifold that has not been first air tested for leakage at ten psig or more by the applicant, or his or her agent, and subsequently checked by the city. Testing must be done as a completed system. No partial or temporary service is permitted. Customer connections between the meter and the outside residential wall are prohibited excepting for individual lines to serve gas grills or gas lights. All tests must be held for observation by a city gas employee.
(C) The city does herewith adopt as its rules and regulations the safety practices set forth by the National Fire Protection Association, in the latest revision of the National Fuel Gas Code, NFPA 54, as though those provisions were fully repeated and set forth herein so far as they are not inconsistent with this chapter. In the event of conflict, the more restrictive language shall apply. NFPA 54 is the National Fuel Gas Code. Any person, firm or corporation installing fuel gas piping or appliances within the gas service area of the city shall avail themselves of the Code prior to the undertaking of any installation and shall follow it.
(D) No surface may be constructed or placed over a gas service line or main which may produce a seal to a building wall or foundation or which may obstruct ready access for repair or replacement.
(E) All buried natural gas piping facilities owned or served by the city and distribution appurtenances shall conform to the latest revision of NFPA 54 and the Minimum Federal Pipeline Safety Standards, 49 C.F.R. pt. 192 as though fully set forth herein. The minimum standards shall apply equally to private buried facilities and distribution appurtenances. No natural gas piping may be placed or remain beneath any building or sealed surface except in a specified vented casing.
(F) No meter, regulator or any part of a city-owned meter setting may be painted or otherwise coated by a customer without written approval of the Gas Superintendent on a case-by-case basis. Special coatings are required to prevent shorting of insulators.
(G) The city shall not approve customer piping, which as used herein means piping beyond the outlet of the meter. The city may refuse connection or discontinue service upon discovering any conditions which may be in violation of this section or which may create any type of safety hazard, including venting.
(H) (1) Heating plants and water heaters shall be connected to gas piping with rigid pipe, excepting where an AGA-listed flexible connector is approved by the manufacturer as part of its installation design.
(2) Sweat fittings shall not be used anywhere in the gas piping.
(I) (1) All gas conversion burners to be installed shall be AGA-listed and approved. All designed heating plants shall be AGA-listed and approved and the manufacturer’s recommendations for the installation shall be followed.
(2) No conversion burner shall be installed in any old or ineffective furnace or a boiler which is in poor repair. Test for leakage shall be conducted by the installer in an approved manner before placing a conversion burner in a warm-air heating plant.
(J) No alteration, repair, adjustment, customer relighting, any appliance work or piping work shall be done by city forces beyond the outlet of the meter except to the extent that it may be required for purposes of safety only. This prohibition shall apply to L.P. conversions.
(K) (1) No unvented gas appliances excepting kitchen ranges, clothes dryers and refrigerators may be installed or operated within the city.
(2) Safety shut-off devices to protect either supply gas or venting failure shall be installed and subsequently tested for proper operation by the installer. Written documentation of the test may be requested. These devices shall be used when approved for or furnished with new heating equipment.
(L) Decorative or supplementary appliances shall be properly vented in accordance with the NFPA 54. These include but are not limited to gas logs and gas log lighters. At any time those units are installed in wood burning fireplaces, special action must be taken for permanent modification of the flue damper. Positive assurance must be provided that the damper cannot be fully closed. A permanent hole must be cut or a positive stop attached even if the unit has a safety pilot. The size of this opening shall be in accordance with the table in NFPA 54 titled Free Opening Area of Chimney Damper for Venting Flue Gases from Unlisted Decorative Appliances for Installation in Vented Fireplaces. All other provisions for safety must be observed.
(M) The city shall be notified of any changes or alterations, remodeling or reconstruction affecting gas piping in any building, house or grounds. This shall be done using a new application for gas service or by amending an existing application.
(1986 Code, § 9.10.051) (Ord. 1407, passed - -1993)