Pre-piping for natural gas
Pre-piping for natural gas gives potential home buyers options for adding the comfort, convenience and cost savings of natural gas appliances to their new home. Pre-piping before the walls are finished can be inexpensive and simple to do and make it easy for you or the homeowner to install the desired natural gas appliances later.
Where can you pre-pipe for natural gas appliances?
The short answer is anywhere a gas appliance might go:
- Kitchens: for chef-inspired natural gas ranges and cooktops
- Living rooms: for the instant warmth and ambience of natural gas fireplaces
- Laundry rooms: for natural gas dryers that save energy and are gentle on clothes
- Patios: for the convenience of natural gas barbecues, patio heaters and outdoor fireplaces and firepits
- Garages and basements: for furnaces, water heaters or wall furnaces for hard-to-heat spaces or a secondary suite
Flexible piping is a solution for hard-to-reach places
If areas in the home you are building are hard to reach with conventional rigid iron pipe, flexible corrugated steel tubing can be bent around obstructions in the walls as easily as electrical wiring. As with any piping, ensure it is installed to code.
Plug in to quick-connect technology
Many developers are including quick-connect outlets for outdoor appliances such as barbecues and patio heaters in their projects. This provides homeowners with an easy and safe way to connect and disconnect appliances to the home’s natural gas supply. With flexible connection hoses about three to four metres long, they can move their barbecue or heater almost anywhere on the deck. A built-in device automatically shuts off the gas when the appliance is unplugged. Look for quick connect outlets certified to the updated convenience outlet standard, CSA 6.24-2015.
We’re here to help
Want to build the attraction of natural gas into your next development? Contact a FortisBC energy solutions manager.