Tap Options on Natural Gas Valves

Tap Options on Natural Gas Valves

The natural gas meter set includes many parts that work together to safely deliver and measure natural gas to a structure. This can include the meter, valves, fittings, a meter bar or valve, a regulator, and the accessories that complete the set.

Through the natural gas journey, one of the main focuses is lowering gas pressure in order to fit the appliance needs for a consumer. The transition to usage means reducing as much as 60+ PSI all the way down to one quarter of a PSI that gas appliances operate at. The natural gas meter set helps safely achieve this pressure, but it is the gas utility’s responsibility to install and maintain the gas meter set.

For both safety and testing purposes, some natural gas valves include a tap on the valve itself. This allows gas utilities to conduct the following tasks:

Check/monitor system pressure

• This allows the utility to get a reading of gas pressure delivered before or after the regulator
  
  

An opportunity for a field technician to do the following:

• Install a gauge before the regulator that will measure in PSI, typically up to 60 PSI or beyond
• Install a gauge after the regulator that will measure in inches of water column or about 2 PSI
• Perform bypass on a natural gas meter set

A.Y. McDonald’s natural gas product line includes a variety of natural gas valves, recognized as the inline plug, inline ball, inline bypass ball, and angle bypass ball. Below is a visual of A.Y. McDonald’s natural gas valve series options:

 

On some natural gas valves, there are multiple tap location options. The tap location is often utility driven, meaning it is spec’d (specified) in. For A.Y. McDonald natural gas valves, position C is the most common tap location. See below for examples of A.Y. McDonald’s natural gas valve tap location options:

Below are the tap size options for A.Y. McDonald natural gas valves:

• Plug valves
  • 1/8” tap size
• Inline Ball Valves (bypass and non)
  • 860BC – 3/4” and 1” sizes have a 1/4” tap size
  • 860BD – Not available
  • 8276BC – 3/4” and 1” sizes have a 1/4” tap size
  • 8276BD – 1” size has an 1/8” tap size
• Angle bypass ball valves
  • Sizes 3/4” and 1” A tap = 3/8”
  • Size 1 1/4” A tap = 3/4”
  • All sizes C tap = optional 1/8” or 1/4”

Taps located on natural gas valves can bring an added safety and efficiency to certain applications and situations. For more information on taps and how to order an A.Y. McDonald natural gas valve with a tap option, call our customer service department at 1-800-292-2737, fill out a Contact Us form, or take the ‘Tap Options on A.Y. McDonald Natural Gas Valves’ AYU course.