Natural Gas Pressure?

[Botle]

I realize that this is not tractor-related, but I feel that I might get a better answer(s) here... Surely you understand.
We use natural gas for heat, water heat, and cooking. I've noticed a problem when lighting the burners on top of the stove at times during the last eighteen months or so. This is very intermittent. Our stove has electric ignitors and you turn the burner to high to start the gas and back to "ignite" to get a flame. Usually you turn the knob and the burner lights as it should. BUT, there are times when you can't get it to light. When this happens it sounds as if the gas it over-pressured, and the only way to light it is to turn the burner down to the lowest setting and use a match. Even then the flame won't go all the way around the burner. If you turn it up it seems to blow out. After a few minutes of burning like this it gets back to normal. I'm aware that the stove has a pressure regulator on it that should control the gas flow, but I'm not sure if this is a problem with too much pressure in the line from the company or not. It seems as if there's too much pressure, but it also seems like what's coming out isn't gas because you can't get it to start. Is there anyone here that can give me any ideas? I'm going to call the local gas company next week about it, but I don't want to be scammed. Thanks.

 

[murphy1244]

The presure going in to your house is 10 WOG then is brought down to 4 WOG in your stove. I'm betting your burner is dirty.

 

[kenmac]

The presure going in to your house is 10 WOG then is brought down to 4 WOG in your stove. I'm betting your burner is dirty.

That depends on what the gas co supplies to his home. It could be a 2 lb- 6'' wg or wc system or even a 5 lb system. In my area you can have 1 of the 3.

 

[murphy1244]

Your furnace is set at 4 WOC I do this for a living.

 

[bigtiller]

I'm with "murphy" on this, clean your burners first and it will probably fix the problem. Then call the appliance repair guy if that doesn't work.

 

[kenmac]

could be gas / air mixture is out of adjustment. could be that the burners are stopped up at the point of ign. Burners will stop up when something has been allowed boil over or just from grease. You will need a manometer to measure inches of gas pressure after the appliance reg. to know if the pressure is correct & yes 3.5-4.0 in.WC (water column) would be the ideal pressure

 

[jinman]

I'm another one on the side of Murphy1244. If something were wrong with the gas pressure, it would have an effect on everything in the house rather than just his cookstove. If his water heater and furnace work normally, it's a very good bet that the supply pressure is just fine.

 

[kenmac]

I don't know anyone that said murphy was wrong. I just stated that depending on the gas supplier he could have more than 10 WOG ?? comming into his home. The gas co around here will supply 6'' WC, 2 lbs or 5 lbs to you depending on your application. I don't know anyone in my area that will supply you with 10 WOG ?? In my 30 ?? yrs of HVAC, plumbing / gas. Never heard the term WOG used. We use lbs or 6'' WC

 

[Egon]

WOG = water oil gas if it's stamped on a valve etc.:thumbsup:

 

[firedog]

WOG is a pressure rating (typically max) for valves, regulators and such.
For example a valve may be rated 600psi WOG, which means the valve is rated 600psi for water, oil or gas.
There is no actual pressure measurment of wog, typical measurements are "wc (inches water column) or "Hg (inches mercury). Others measurements include mmHg, torr, bar, psi, psig, psia and even sometimes ounces.

 

[SPIKER]

Like others mentioned, most homes set to about 5~9" (typically 6~7"WC) If you have all gas home or large appliances, (100K BTU furnace for instance) then pressure is typically set towards the upper end.

What your stove sounds like to me is there is a pressure buildup in the lines in the home. this can happen in several possibilities. Typically a damaged or weakened gas regulator outside (inside) the home that cuts the street line pressure back to the6~7"WC. After a period of no use the pressure continues to build in the home interior pipes. not good...

Spiders / Bugs can crawl inside the vents or build nests (bud dauber) and the regulator cant vent back side pressure back up and then you get surging pressure inside. (High/Low issues.)

last year (18months maybe now) there was a main line regulator issue ended up blowing up half dozen homes here in Ohio. looked like a bomb went off wiped out most of a neighborhood!...


Mark

 

[murphy1244]

Kenmac, I was not trying to step on your toes and I did mean WC not WOG. So anywho, out here in the great north east plains we have 10 WC coming into the house, I set up a furnace for 4 WC and hot water tanks at 3. I have no idea what a stove is set for since I do not do appliances nor do I want to.Clean the burners.

 

[kenmac]

Kenmac, I was not trying to step on your toes and I did mean WC not WOG. So anywho, out here in the great north east plains we have 10 WC coming into the house, I set up a furnace for 4 WC and hot water tanks at 3. I have no idea what a stove is set for since I do not do appliances nor do I want to.Clean the burners.

I thought that they may have a different term in other areas. Most gas appliances are set about the same (there are some exceptions) 3.5-4.0 wc. I got out of repairing/installing commerical cooking equipment years ago. But, they are set up the same. I still repair & install residental equipment as well as HVAC/Plumbing/Gas. Around here the gas co. delivers 6'' wc, 2 psi or 5 psi into the home. 5 psi is rare. There are different dials on the meters for each 6''wc 2 psi , 5 psi on the 2 psi & 5 psi systems we have to install maxitrol regulators at the appliances. I like the higher pressures as you can install smaller pipe or copper tubing