"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
JTMcC wrote:

"Greg O" wrote in message
...

"JTMcC" wrote in message
news
I've installed hundreds of miles, 99% of it on the high pressure side of

the

meter. Underground gas line is poly coated, or taped. The meter
installer
will generaly paint everything thats not gas company grey after piping
his
meter.



Pretty much any underground gas on the utility side of the meter here is
poly. Granted there probably is some steel in the ground here and there,
but
any new installs have been poly. The mains are poly, branches to homes
and
business' are poly.
Greg


That's just not possible, PE is legal for pressures under 99psi, all in
town distribution systems have pipe pressures well over that, they have
to maintain volumn. Even a small town will have distribution mains
running 200 to 500 psi. and from 2" up.
As far as services go, steel services run off steel mains and PE services
run off of PE mains.
Maybe you haven't seen them, but there are quite a few steel lines in
your area.
You just can't run an entire dist. system with pressures under 99 psi.
Especially in the winter.
All this goes out the window if you are in Mexico, Gautamala, ect. But in
the U.S. it will hold true.

Well, I live in rural PA and my main distribution line past my driveway is
2" poly. It says so right on the yellow marker that sticks up out of the
ground by my driveway. I'll have to check, but I believe the line from
the main to my house is 1.5" poly.

I don't know what the pressure is, but I live out in the boonies and the
distribution lines are pretty long.


Matt


Anecdotal evidence about the line in front of your yard is interesting, but
I'm missing your point. There are millions of miles of plastic gas pipe in
the ground, I remember when they used regular old PVC, and I've seen all the
other incarnations of new and improved plastic line. When we test welders it
is a common sight to see a whole gaggle of guys taking the plastic welding
test. They use it everwhere they can, it's very cheap compared to welded
steel line. I would guess that hundreds of miles are put in the ground every
week, but that has no bearing on the fact that plastic at this point still
has serious limitations on use, and millions of miles of steel is used in
distribution piping as well.

JTMcC.

JTMcC.