Natural gas is a convenient and efficient fuel used in many homes for appliances like stoves, ovens, water heaters, and heating systems. With natural gas prices fluctuating, some homeowners may consider storing natural gas on their property as a cost-saving measure. However, there are a number of risks, regulations, and logistical challenges that make stored natural gas impractical and dangerous for residential use.
Is it legal to store natural gas at home?
In most areas, it is not legal for homeowners to store large amounts of natural gas on their residential property. Natural gas storage and transport is regulated by state and federal agencies like the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). PHMSA states that “Federal safety standards restrict the types and amounts of natural gas that can be stored or transported without specific approvals.” Most jurisdictions limit the amount of natural gas stored in tanks for residential use to around 1,000 gallons or less. Storing larger volumes would require extensive permitting and adherence to commercial and industrial regulations for handling hazardous materials. Violating these laws by illegally storing large volumes of natural gas could lead to substantial fines and penalties.
Why is residential natural gas storage restricted?
There are a few key reasons why natural gas storage in homes is heavily restricted:
Safety concerns
Storing large amounts of highly flammable, pressurized natural gas on a residential property poses major safety risks. Gas leaks or ruptured storage tanks could lead to deadly fires and explosions. The risks extend beyond just the homeowner’s property to surrounding homes. Strict regulations try to limit the public danger of mishandled residential natural gas.
Zoning issues
Most residential areas are not zoned for high-volume hazardous material storage and handling. The equipment and infrastructure required to store commercial volumes of natural gas typically need industrial-zoned land. Local zoning laws may prohibit siting these facilities near homes.
Technical complexity
Storing natural gas requires expertise and infrastructure like compression equipment, large pressurized vessels, and safety systems. Residential areas usually lack the technical capabilities and infrastructure to safely handle industrial natural gas storage. Doing this as a DIY home project would be extremely dangerous.
Environmental concerns
Natural gas storage sites have the potential to contaminate air, soil, and water if leaks were to occur. Strict environmental regulations apply to containing possible pollution risks from stored gas. Most homeowners could not meet these regulations without major investments.
What are the risks of residential natural gas storage?
Attempting to store large volumes of natural gas on residential property carries a number of serious risks:
Explosion hazard
A gas leak, equipment failure, or rupture of a pressurized storage tank could lead to a deadly explosion. The blast radius could extend far beyond just the property, requiring large setbacks from neighboring homes. Intentional vandalism could also trigger an explosion.
Fire hazard
Natural gas leaks and explosions almost always lead to intense fires fed by the ample fuel source. Fires could easily spread to surrounding homes. First responders may have difficulty safely accessing and extinguishing fires amid large amounts of stored natural gas.
Asphyxiation risk
Natural gas leaks displace oxygen in confined spaces. Pockets of leaked gas could lead to asphyxiation deaths for those unknowingly entering affected areas, especially in basements or storage buildings.
Property damage
An explosion or fire related to mishandled natural gas storage could completely destroy the home, surrounding buildings, and property. The homeowner would likely be liable for damages.
Environmental impact
Gas leaks may go undetected for long periods, contaminating soil and groundwater. Repairing environmental damage is extremely costly.
Injury hazards
The intense pressures inside natural gas storage vessels and piping create hazards like ruptures and fast projectiles that could seriously injure anyone nearby if equipment fails.
Can homeowners store small amounts of natural gas?
While large-scale natural gas storage is not feasible in a residential setting, some homeowners do utilize smaller tanks to supply gas for appliances like grills, emergency generators, or heating:
– Many homeowners with outdoor gas grills have a small propane tank around 5-20 pounds to fuel the grill. Grill manufacturers provide safe tank storage guidelines.
– For emergency backup power, homes may have a natural gas generator with an attached fuel tank storing 10-50 gallons. Permits and inspections are required to safely install these.
– In rural areas lacking natural gas pipeline access, homes sometimes use a 120-1,000 gallon liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank as their main gas supply. Proper permitting, setbacks, and infrastructure are required.
– Natural gas vehicles can compress small amounts of natural gas into integrated storage tanks. These are only removed and refueled at commercial fueling stations.
Even at volumes under 1,000 gallons, proper handling of pressurized natural gas requires great care, compliance with codes, and professional installation. Improper storage risks serious consequences. All storage tank ownership and operation should comply with local laws.
What are the logistics of storing natural gas?
Storing natural gas on a large scale requires addressing complex logistical challenges:
Sourcing the gas
Accessing large volumes of natural gas requires tapping into commercial supplies and transport infrastructure. The gas must be purchased at market or contract rates competitive with retail natural gas providers.
Transport
After sourcing natural gas in high pressure pipelines or liquefied form, specialized trucks and equipment are needed to transfer it to storage sites complying with hazardous material transportation regulations.
Storage vessels
Suitable industrial tanks capable of safely holding pressurized natural gas or LNG cryogenic temperatures are expensive. Tanks require stable foundations and security measures.
Monitoring
Natural gas storage facilities must have 24/7 monitoring systems to immediately detect leaks and prevent overfilling. Monitoring equipment requires power and data connections.
Security
Stored natural gas must be secured against tampering, theft, or other unauthorized access. Industrial-grade security systems are a must.
Insurance
Stored hazardous materials require specialized insurance policies that can be costly for high liability activities like natural gas storage.
These complexities make natural gas storage infeasible for typical residential settings. The scale of infrastructure exceeds what most homeowners could accommodate on their property.
What regulations apply to residential natural gas storage?
While laws vary between states, jurisdictions, and utility districts, regulations surrounding residential natural gas storage generally aim to:
– Restrict storage volumes to less than 1,000 gallons, with even smaller limits for residential areas
– Enforce residential zoning restrictions prohibiting industrial activities
– Require permits, inspections, and plans for any allowed storage tanks
– Mandate setbacks and spacing between tanks and surrounding buildings
– Govern infrastructure materials, leak monitoring, access control, and other safety factors
– Hold homeowners fully liable for damages or injuries related to improper gas storage
– Limit air, water, and soil pollution from gas leaks
Regulatory violations can lead to revoked permits, fines, and forced removal of non-compliant storage tanks and infrastructure. Homeowners should fully understand their local laws before attempting any residential natural gas storage.
Conclusion
Storing small amounts of 100-1,000 gallons of natural gas for appliances like grills and generators can be done safely when closely following residential codes and permitting. However, large-scale natural gas storage greatly exceeds typical residential safety capabilities, infrastructure, and zoning allowances. Significant risks and complex logistics make bulk natural gas storage impractical, dangerous, and illegal in most homes. Anyone exploring residential natural gas storage should thoroughly research local laws and risks before attempting a hazardous DIY project with potentially deadly consequences. Strict regulations exist to protect homeowners, communities, and the environment from unsafe practices.
