Large propane tanks and venturi burners

[Andrew T]

For those of you with large propane tanks and venturi burners how do you have your regulators and plumbing set up?

I have been using 100lb cylinders and use up to 15 psi. I am negotiating for a 500 gallon tank with local suppliers. There seems to be concern about running 15 psi into a building.

I have been referred to NFPA code 54 and 58. 

How do you guys have yours set up? There must be a way to do it.

Thanks

Edited August 17, 2015 by Andrew T

[Charlotte]

The forges that I've seen, supplied by stationary tanks, use hard pipe from the tank to the inside terminus.  You will need an exterior  commercial/Industrial regulator  at the tank.  Pressure to match local fire code. Your  Supplier should be able to give you advice. If  they are reluctant to support your  application you may have to tell them that it is an industrial application. 

The real question is: are you in an area, like a city or town, that has fire codes that will prevent you from bringing in higher pressure supplies?   Second question: What does your insurance company say about it?    All the big gas forges I've seen were in Louisiana and Mississippi  and located in Rural situations in separate buildings away from the residence or zoned light industrial.

[Judson Yaggy]

I've dealt with this too.  Several solutions but not all are "safe".  I won't mention some of them here.  BUT you can play with higher volume at lower pressure (more smaller burners).    Just need a bigger supply line at that lower pressure.  

[Mikey98118]

Charlotte,

Nearly all local fire codes are based on, or taken directly from the NFPA. That doesn't mean there can't be zoning codes preventing someone from plunking down a 500 gallon tank in the burbs.

[Charlotte]

1 hour ago, Mikey98118 said:

Charlotte,

Nearly all local fire codes are based on, or taken directly from the NFPA. That doesn't mean there can't be zoning codes preventing someone from plunking down a 500 gallon tank in the burbs.

I understand about the sources of regs in the NFPA.  Like all things regulatory they are subject to interpretation  Also kind of depends on who your insurance agent is and  his experience and expectation.     The local dealer should be able to talk the user through the mine field;   The one thing that we shouldn't do is try to do it without local inspection and advice.

Sometimes it is hard for the non-professional to get co-operation.   Since retirement I've had to jump through hoops that I never paid any attention to.

[Frosty]

Oh good luck finding any dealer willing to accept the liability of talking you through anything but finding a licensed and bonded professional to do installations. I've been getting my burner supplies from a close by plumbing and heating supply and being the talky sort I am have described what I'm doing for years now. Last summer just before the annual "Art on Fire" event where I demo I stopped by to show them one of my burners. The guy at the counter muttered something like Hmmmmm, interesting. One of the service guys walked out from the backroom, caught a glimpse and turned on the spot and went back through the door.

That was hint enough for me and even though the store is less than 3 miles from the venue of Art on Fire one has never stopped by my area. I'm running home made gas burning appliances and they have a professional interest in NOT seeing them or reporting them to the appropriate folks.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Any shoeing schools near buy? They use exactly the set up your looking fore. 

No is the easy answer for a buricrat (worked well as a parent, cum to think of it) look for examples, such as glass blowers studios egg.

[Mikey98118]

Charlotte,

We agree. Also our expectations of the down side  can be totally off too. After I burned the garage halfway to the ground, I fessed up to the insurance agent that I was working a business from home, and he simply cut the pay out in half, instead of walking out from under me. Years later, A local fireman was asking me a technical question about my book in the grocery checkout line. The fire department had been keeping tabs on me all that time; he was grinning to see the shock on my face

Even though local fire departments are pretty strict on propane safety, hot glass studios get approved and licensed all over Seattle.

But, when a friend tried to get the Auburn fire department to inspect and approve his shop forge, he was handed off to the Fire Marshall personally, who proceeded to duck out of taking any responsibility by telling the man to do. He'd only say "get a copy ($$$) of the NFPA recommendations," because that's what they used for local fire safety codes.

It's a pure waste of time to try and predict which way "the authorities" will jump.

[Charles R. Stevens]

"Presedent" is the name of the game with "officials" go armed with other examples of either the same setup or similar, have a risk abatement plan and patience, lol.

take a solid fuel forge for example, open fire places are basically the same thing, I indoor charcoal grills and wood fired ovens are similar examples. 

Min the case of gas forges, spring shops use them, and "glory holes" in glass blowers shops, as well as gas furnesses in leaded glass shops are similar.