The adapting gas pipes to the interior of houses, for the supply of gas, simple and easy as it may appear, has been the means of not a little contributing to bring the gas light illumination, on many occasions, into disrepute. It has required years to enable workmen of the best intention to acquire sufficient practical skill in the proper execution of a business, which must be pronounced to constitute an art entirely new, and in which no progress could be made, but after having committed many errors. A house neatly and judiciously fitted up with gas pipes, displays to a person experienced in this art, a skill and judgment, equal to what is established in any other branch of mechanical employment. It must be obvious, that the art of arranging the pipes and adapting them, is one of that class of operations in which it is a real saving to employ the best materials and skilful workmen, to avoid repairs and subsequent alterations and derangements of the work. The supply and distribution of the pipes, or the fitting up, as it is called by the workmen, may be done almost at any price with regard to workmanship and materials, and to bargain for cheapness in the execution of it, with a faithful, honest, and skilful workman, must naturally be a losing concern to the person for whom the work is done. The cost of furnishing and adapting the pipes to one place, cannot serve as a standard for any other place, every separate place may present difficulties which could not be foreseen at the commencement of the work.
The stopping up and corrosion of the gas pipes, which at the commencement of the introduction of the new lights was complained of in many places, it is now sufficiently established, originated entirely from the impurity of the gas, together with a faulty arrangement of the pipes, in consequence of which, the water of condensation accumulating in certain parts, exercised a strong chemical action on the copper pipes, and if the gas was not very pure, ultimately corroded the pipe. These objections do no longer exist, and it may safely be pronounced, that pure coal gas produces no action whatever on the copper tubes through which it is conveyed. In proof of this statement, we need only refer to the several districts of the metropolis, fitted up with gas pipes at the first introduction of the new lights, (1809,) all of which are still in perfect preservation.
It is perhaps unnecessary to add, that no pipe capable of being melted by a gas flame, should ever be employed for conveying or distributing gas through the interior of houses, because the facility with which such pipes might be perforated, could lead to serious consequences, if the gas issuing from the aperture of the pipe were lighted, the flame in that case would follow the melted part, through the whole extent of the pipe, and the hazard by fire would be considerably increased. Therefore, pewter, lead, and tin pipes, are very improper for distributing gas through the interior of houses, and should never be used for that purpose. Hence copper, and iron pipes, are universally employed.
In order that the pipes for conveying the gas from the mains, and distributing it through the houses or other buildings to be lighted with gas, may in the first place not be unnecessarily large, or too small, the following rule may serve as a guide to workmen:
One gas lamp,—consuming four cubic feet of gas in an hour, if situated twenty feet distance from the main which supplies the gas, requires a tube not less than a quarter of an inch in the bore.
Two lamps,—30 feet distance from the main, require a tube 3⁄8 of an inch in the bore.
Three lamps,—30 feet distance from the main, require a tube 3⁄8 of an inch in the bore.
Four lamps,—40 feet distance from the main, require a tube 1⁄2 inch in the bore.
Six lamps,—50 feet distance from the main, require a tube 5⁄8 of an inch in the bore.
Ten lamps,—100 feet distance from the main, require a tube 3⁄4 of an inch in the bore.