Section 870.160  Natural and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Installation

a)         Natural Gas.  There are three codes affecting the operation of natural gas facilities in manufactured homes:  the Pipeline Safety Regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the pipeline to the meter; the National Fuel Gas Code written by the National Fire Protection Association for the piping from the meter to underneath the home, and the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, administered by the Department of  Housing and Urban Development for the appliance installation, operation and venting in the home.

1)         Piping.  Natural gas piping must be of approved materials. 

A)        Plastic piping approved for natural gas, ASTM 2513, must be installed below ground level, except that it may terminate aboveground if:

i)          The aboveground part of the plastic service line is protected against deterioration and external damage; and

ii)         The plastic service line is not used to support external loads.  Plastic pipe, tubing and fittings shall be joined in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.  An electrically continuous corrosion resistant tracer wire (Minimum 14 AWG (American wire gauge)) or tape shall be buried with the plastic pipe to facilitate locating. 

B)        Metallic pipe shall be at least standard weight, Schedule 40.  Copper and brass pipe 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.  Metallic tubing such as seamless copper (ASTM A254) shall be permitted to be used with gas not corrosive to such material. 

2)         Support.  All piping under the home must be supported with appropriate hangers spaced at no more than 6 foot intervals for 1 inch diameter or less pipe and no more than 10 foot intervals for piping 1¼ inch in diameter or more.

3)         Defects and Corrosion.  Defects in pipe, tubing or fittings shall not be repaired.  When defective pipe, tubing or fittings are located in a system, the defective material shall be replaced.  Gas piping in contact with earth or other material that could corrode the piping shall be protected against corrosion in an approved manner.

4)         Meters, Valves and Regulators.  Meters and regulators must be installed in a readily accessible location and be protected from corrosion and other damage.  Each service line must have a service line valve located upstream of the regulator or meter.

5)         Location and Testing.  Each buried main must be installed with at least 24 inches of cover and service lines with at least 18 inches of cover.  The service line cover can be reduced to 12 inches if external damage to the pipe is not likely to result.  The gas piping system must be tested for leaks prior to occupancy of the home.

b)         Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LP).  LP gas containers must be approved for the intended use and properly located in accordance with the Standard for the Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases (NFPA 58-98) (Table 9 − Proper Location of Liquified Petroleum Gas Containers).

c)         Oil Burning Equipment.  Fuel oil burning equipment must be installed in accordance with the Standards for the Installation of Oil Burning Equipment (NFPA 31).