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Old 2005-07-09, 10:20am
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MikeAurelius MikeAurelius is offline
Safety ALWAYS
 
Join Date: Jun 10, 2005
Location: Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Posts: 2,401
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Chad, when I moved my teaching studio to its present location, the building inspector and fire inspector both came through and did inspections. The fire inspector used NPFA (which our city has adopted as its fire code) rules. Propane has to be outside. All connections from the propane tank to the point of distribution have to plumbed in metal pipe, no rubber, even "T" grade. There have to be shut off valves outside before the line goes through the wall, inside after the wall entry, and at the point of distribution. Every 20 feet, the fuel gas line has to be marked with a sign indicating the gas in the line and direction of flow.

Visible on the outside of the building I had to put the NFPA diamonds for propane, compressed oxygen and liquid oxygen. The Rubbermaid "box" that I keep the propane in had to be protected from impact from vehicles (concrete filled steel tubes driven into the ground). Flexible metal hose from the tank to the main fuel gas line.

Valves had to be NFPA approved gas valves, ordinary water or compressed air valves are not code.

All connections had to be flare fittings or threaded fittings, not compression fittings.

No screw type hose clamps on any of the "T" grade rubber hoses. The ones I had needed to be removed and replaced with the twin ear compression type hose clamps.

Any place where the rubber hose could be bumped or moved was to be protected, so that the hose would not chafe or be cut or compressed accidentally.

If teaching is going to be a regular part of the studio activity, I strongly recommend that you bring the fuel gas installation up to NFPA standards BEFORE you have inspection. Chances are that if it is not to standards, the building inspector or fire inspector could red tag you and shut you down until the entire studio is brought up to code and re-inspected.
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