Unlike electricity, where a small number of meters will accommodate most users’ power consumption needs, there are many different makes, models, and sizes of gas meter specifically designed for the maximum usage a customer requires.
HOW TO DETERMINE GAS METER SIZE
To establish the size of commercial gas meter you require depends on two main factors:
- Type of the property (Hotel, Take Away, Restaurant, Office etc) and type and numbers of the item which will use gas.
- The second is the peak demand for gas you require at any given moment.
GAS METER SIZE CALCULATION
To calculate what size gas meter you require will depend on two things. You may, however, need to find any Local Plumber or Gas Safe Engineer in your area who can help with this.
- First, the distance from the gas meter to appliances may have a bearing on whether you need a bigger meter, because gas pressure drops over distance traveled.
- Also, the number and type of appliances fitted at a property that use gas will need to be taken into account. All gas using equipment needs to be added together to create a total demand for a property, which allows checks to be made that the pipe and meter are sufficient in size.
TYPICAL COMMERCIAL CALCULATIONS
A commercial building could use much more gas. A small office or shop may have a similar gas load requirement to a house, if just heating and hot water are used.
A fast food outlet or takeaway could use anywhere between 70 kW and 150 kW, and this is usually similar to a restaurant. Schools and nursing homes could use up to 1000 kilowatts at any given time or more. A factory may use many thousands of kilowatts extra. No two sites are the same.
In summary, there isn’t one size of meter that fits all, so it’s important to check with the help of a Gas Safe engineer that your gas pipe connection and meter can pass through the volume of gas you require. If a mistake is made, it could be costly and time-consuming to put right.
