*
I have been asked to help a friend of mine get an emergency Vet clinic off the ground. I am a carpenter that has worked in both commercial and residential construction and am well versed in both. With this being an emergency clinic there is a need for Oxygen to be plumbed into the building I have asked a few of the plumbers I know about what is required and have been getting a lot of blank stares in return. I don’t own a plumbing code book and haven’t had the chance to go to the library to track this down. I thought someone may have some knowledge to share on this topic. Thanks Anthony Brown
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The code requires installing an approved material to slow the spread of fire between floors and adjacent vertical and horizontal cavities — here are the allowed materials and required locations.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
*
If you have a friendly plumbing supply house you can ask them what they sell for oxygen use. I do know some larger houses stock copper pipe for oxygen supply. It usually comes with plastic caps to keep dirt out until you install it.
And do not get oil into any oxygen fittings, pipe, or else! Do not ask me what happens, I just read the warnings on oxygen bottles. I suspect rapid oxidation of the oil.
Frank DuVal
*Anthony....Don't do the O2 work.
*Anthony Look for a plumber that has done this work before. Orr at the least, someone that has an apprentice that has just covered it in school.I have done a few clinics plumbing the medical gas. It is not rocket science, but I would wonder about any tradesman that has not learned this in trade school.
*Anthony Look for a plumber that has done this work before.Or at the least, someone that has an apprentice that has just covered it in school.I have done a few clinics plumbing the medical gas. It is not rocket science, but I would wonder about any tradesman that has not learned this in trade school.
*I think the first technical info you should check out is whether your isurance will cover you if you do this work.I believe oxygen is considered a hazardous gas (for some purposes, at least) because it can create powerfully explosive conditions.
*You may consider consulting a mechanical contractor that specializes in process piping for pharmaceutical companies, electronic manufacturing, semiconductor chips, etc. They do this sort of work routinely. But because their clients are typcially medium to large corporations, you may find the costs are astronomical relative to contractors who do mainly residential or light commercial.
*If you don't understand the effects of Oxygen on materials and are Completely familiar with the entire thing: Don't Do It! Find Someone Else!In addition to its' medical benefits Oxygen lowers the ignition/burning point of materials. It is safe when properly handled. But it takes knowledge and training to properly handle it.
*b WBA At Your ServiceHire a pro, med gas copper tubing must be brazed, not soldered, just for starters.
*Oxygen= oxidizer= big flames. Sam
*contamination in the lines = contamination in the lungs. it doesn't take much contamination (even water) to damage lungs.
*I've done it a couple of times. O2 in the cylinder is about 2200psi. O2 at this pressure will cause fire/explosion if there's grease or organic material in the lines. So you put an O2 regulator on the tank and plumb with copper and brass to the surgical suite from the regulator, and adjust the line pressure with the regulator, to only a few pounds. If you have >1 suite, plumb from the tank regulator to a remote Cu or SS manifold of a couple of liters and then plumb from there to each suite, putting a separate O2 regulator at each point of use. Put the stopcock for the O2 downstream from each regulator.Silver braze the connections (I use Easy-flo, mp 1315*F), or use brass flare fittings or compression fittings. You have to use O2 regulators, NOT compressed air regulators. All O2 fittings are LH. The tank/regulator connection is 7/8"-14tpi LH(tank is male) and the outlet end is (I think) 9/16-18 LH.You MUST keep all the fittings LH to discourage someone in the future from piping LP into the system.You can get the pieces from welding stores, or thru the mail from the MECO catalog.Put the O2 tank/regulator in the basement or ( the best of all worlds) outside in a covered and ventilated AND LOCKED shed on the wall of the building. Keep that regulator at abt 20psi (if using a manifold) or 5-10 psi if direct to the suite.It's probably cheaper to have a small O2 tank and regulator at each point of use, altho an O2 tap on the wall looks pretty neat.There's a paint scheme for O2 piping but I don't know what it is.Remember: The only 2 dangers with O2 are from high pressure O2 + organic material which will cause an explosion, or low pressure O2 leaking into an unventilated space and raising the O2 content of the air, which will cause otherwise safe materials to burn with great vigor, as in the 3 Apollo guys killed on the launch pad because some fool filled their spacecraft with 15psi O2 instead of 15psi air.
*The Compressed Gas Association has booklets on various topics related to medical oxygen piping. Unfortunately, they cost money. The list is at:http://www.cganet.com/publication_detail.asp?id=G-4.4
*This is a little off the subject, but I thought you might know if regulators are affected by cold weather. My welding set is in an unheated shed, and night temperature has been around 10 deg F. Thanks.
*Worked for a while as dir. of maint. for a small med center.We had to keep the O2 tanks away from occupied areas in a place ventelated to the outside. We had a small shed like room attached to the building just for this.Only a small part of the building had piped in O2. The rest used tanks on carts. So much easier and cheaper to just keep a tank near by. Easier maintenance, less things to break, The nurses could just wheel in another tank when needed instead of maintenance needing to switch big heavy tanks.
*Tom, Have you ever seen a welders truck? The regulators are usally on the tanks in the wind, rain, snow, cold, heat, sand and dust. Mine are in the garage and it gets down to -10 F.
*If you do the job make sure you use O2 cleaned components including tubing. I'm not sure about having to braze all fittings but in industrial it is common to use compression type fittings. Generally, when working with O2 you want to avoid rapid pipe contractions (such as a choke) as this can cause ignition. After the pressure is reduced, (about 50psi or less) it is ok to use solenoid valves as safety shutoffs. After the bottle regulator (wall mounted is best) I use a secound regulator, as a safety in case the first fails. At the bottle make sure there is a burst disk, and the components can handle that pressure. CGA has a free pamphlet on there web site. Get a captured vent on your regs. and run the vent somewhere safe. Pressure test with N2 before using O2. I do this all the time if you need a typical schematic email me.
*Tom,The only thing you really have to worry about with reg's. in cold weather is freezing up. Tank gasses are "dry" I think the dew pt. from the suppliers is -40F so you don't have condensation problems. You might ocassionally see problems with air from an air compressor on really cold days because the dew pt. is higher than the ambient temp.
*If you do the job make sure you use O2 cleaned components including tubing. I'm not sure about having to braze all fittings but in industrial it is common to use compression type fittings. Generally, when working with O2 you want to avoid rapid pipe contractions (such as a choke) as this can cause ignition. After the pressure is reduced, (about 50psi or less) it is ok to use solenoid valves as safety shutoffs. After the bottle regulator (wall mounted is best) I use a secound regulator, as a safety in case the first fails. At the bottle make sure there is a burst disk, and the components can handle that pressure. CGA has a free pamphlet on there web site. Get a captured vent on your regs. and run the vent somewhere safe. Pressure test with N2 before using O2. I do this all the time if you need a typical schematic email me.
*re the Apollo accident mentioned above by Rob.Kelly - It was no "accident" that the space capsule was filled with O2 instead of air - it was SUPPOSED to be. The Apollos were intended to use low pressure (5-7 psi, I recall) O2 instead of 15 psi Air. Among other reasons, it lessened the outward pressure on the hull in the vacuum of space, or else the hull would've have ruptured outward.But the hazards of pure O2 were tragically exposed.
*
I have been asked to help a friend of mine get an emergency Vet clinic off the ground. I am a carpenter that has worked in both commercial and residential construction and am well versed in both. With this being an emergency clinic there is a need for Oxygen to be plumbed into the building I have asked a few of the plumbers I know about what is required and have been getting a lot of blank stares in return. I don't own a plumbing code book and haven't had the chance to go to the library to track this down. I thought someone may have some knowledge to share on this topic. Thanks Anthony Brown
“[Deleted]”