Purging of Natural Gas Lines

When natural gas pipelines are put into service, the air in the line must be purged. This eliminates the risk of a dangerous air/natural gas combination that can form flammable mixtures within the pipeline.

Do not attempt to purge a gas line yourself—only a qualified professional can carry out the purging. Also consider these additional safety measures:

• Do NOT purge the contents of a gas line into a confined space or where gas could accumulate.
• A release of natural gas presents the potential for explosion or fire.
• Purging of gas should only be done by a qualified professional in a well-ventilated area or by venting to the outside atmosphere.
• Before purging, identify and eliminate all sources of ignition in the area where the gas may be vented.
• Always use calibrated gas detection equipment during purging operations or when working on gas piping facilities to determine if natural gas is present. Do NOT rely on your sense of smell alone to detect the presence of natural gas.
• When installing gas appliances or equipment, follow the manufacturer’s instruction manual in accordance with the local code requirements.
• Consult your local fuel gas code for more information.
• NEVER leave a purging operation unattended.

What can be more annoying than your stove/heater not working even if the propane tank is full? Probably, nothing especially when it’s freezing outside. 

The appliances can fail to work up to your expectation for various reasons. Commonly air pockets in the propane gas line lead to disappointment.

Air pockets in the propane gas line are quite annoying but fortunately, this issue is unbelievably easy to fix. Even a naive can purge the air from the propane gas line without any professional help. 

If you are facing the same issue, here is what you should do to get your interrupted gas supply back;

How to purge air from propane gas lines?

Just as we humans have got a million ways to deal with other propane issues, we have a solution to purge air from the propane gas line as well. Here is the typical way of purging air from the propane gas line;

Step one

When you are planning to purge air from the propane gas line, make sure the propane tank is not low. If it contains a little amount of propane gas, contact the supplier and get a refill immediately. You need better gas pressure to purge the air from the gas line. Once your propane tank is 80% full, you are ready to move ahead.

Step two

Turn on the valve on the propane tank by moving it clockwise. It must be kept in mind that to purge air from the propane gas line you have to open the valve to its capacity. The better the gas flow, the quicker you will get rid of air from the gas line.

Step three

Try lighting up the stove. If it fails to serve wait for a few seconds let the air come out. 

Step four

Try lighting up the stove once again. If it still does not work, wait for a while. If the stove refuses to work up to your expectations, turn off the valve and open it again.

Step five

Come back and turn on the stove again. There are some high chances that the stove would begin serving as you expect it to be. 

Step six

The stove is not the only necessity that runs on propane gas, there are some other appliances as well. When these appliances begin working normally, you can say that you have successfully gotten rid of air from the gas line. So, light up the other appliances, if they do not work properly repeat the whole process twice or thrice. Learn How to Disconnect Propane Tank From Grill?

The other way of purging air from the propane gas line

Most users have discovered that pressing the igniter button repeatedly while pressing the valve down is also effective in purging air from the gas line. What you might find annoying about this process is that the igniter button is needed to press several times. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should you purge the air from the gas line?

The air pockets in the gas line restrict the gas supply.  That’s one of the few major reasons why the gas appliances fail to start. Purging air from the gas line is important to have all the appliances working. So, you need to get rid of the air pockets to light up your gas appliances.

Do I need professional help to purge air from the gas line?

No, purging air from the gas line is not a complex process. It can be performed without any professional help. All you have to do is turn on the valve and the stove to let the air out. Keep trying to light up the stove until it begins working fine.