Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Facilities in Snow Load Area

Facilities in snow-load areas. This subsection shall apply in snow-load areas of 100 pounds per square foot or more, to all new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) installations and to existing installations when LPG service is reconnected after an unscheduled service interruption.

1. Two stage regulator systems shall be installed on all LPG installations.
2. The first stage regulator shall be installed under the hinged gauge cover supplied with the tank. The atmospheric pressure aperture of the regulator shall be pointed downward. The first stage regulator shall be plumbed to the riser of the yard piping with soft copper tubing to allow flexibility should tank shifting occur. The riser from the yard piping shall be located not more than 12 inches (horizontally) from the walls of the tank.
3. The second stage regulator and riser pipe shall be installed under the eave of the building, as close as practicable to the building wall. This riser shall be securely supported/braced to the wall approximately ten inches below the regulator so as to prevent bending of the pipe by lateral snow/ice loads.
4. A protective cover, approved by the gas supplier and Building Official, shall be installed over the second stage regulator and securely supported to the ground or diagonally to the building wall.
5. The riser pipes for the yard piping shall not be imbedded in concrete. Concrete placed around such riser shall be held back at least one inch from all sides of the pipe.
6. At the time of application for any building permit, which involves the installation of a LPG system, the applicant shall submit a LPG system plot plan in three copies. The LPG plot plan shall include, but not be limited to, the tank location, proposed tank capacity in U.S. gallons, route of yard piping, location of the riser pipe at the building, property boundaries, an outline of all existing/proposed buildings on the lot and a depiction of the ridge line of any building to be supplied with LPG. The third copy of this LPG plot plan may be forwarded to the appropriate fire district to serve as a locator map in event of an emergency.
7. Location of the centerline of LPG tanks shall be permanently marked by the use of snow stakes, one at each end. Such stakes shall be of sufficient height to be visible through anticipated maximum snow depth at the respective location. Installation and maintenance of these snow stakes is the responsibility of the LPG user.
8. Propane appliances and accessories shall not be permitted in any new installation below the first floor level or below grade, whichever is most restrictive.

(Code 1997, § 15.16.150; Ord. No. 4948, 10-19-2010)