D2513 Underground Pipe Kit
Product Information:
- Can underground PE gas pipe be used for propane
applications?
Yes, the underground PE gas pipe is certified for use with both
Propane and Natural Gas. - When installing PE underground gas pipe, is it alright
to sweep it to the surface to make my final
connections?
No, the yellow gas pipe should be buried at or below code-mandated
levels (usually 12-24 inches depending on local codes). It should
never be above grade. - Can I use the Transition Fitting in a vertical format
to make my own riser?
No, the Transition Fitting is designed to be used horizontally to
connect D2513 yellow poly gas pipe to black pipe. It should also be
installed at or below code-mandated burial levels. - Can I use your CSST brass fittings with your
Underground pipe?
No, the CSST brass fittings and Underground pipe are different
product lines and are not compatible. - After my system is complete and before final burial,
how long must the system be pressure checked and at what
psi?
We recommend pressure checking the entire system for 30 minutes at
15psi. Overnight testing is not recommended due to potential false
positives caused by temperature and barometric changes. - Do I have to chamfer your gas poly pipe prior to
installation of your fittings?
No, unlike some push-to-connect gas fitting manufacturers, our gas
pipe does not need to be chamfered before installing our
compression fittings. - The code mandated burial level for my installation is
18 and I have limited room above surface. Can your riser be cut
down to accommodate my installation?
No, the riser should never be altered. However, you can dig the
trench deeper under the riser to adjust the installation level
above ground. - Can I use your underground fittings with another
manufacturer’s pipe?
Yes, you can use our underground fittings with another
manufacturer’s pipe as long as the sizes of the pipe and fittings
are the same. All manufacturers of D2513 poly pipe adhere to the
same dimensional and material standards. - What is SDR?
SDR stands for standard dimension ratio. It represents the ratio of
a pipe’s average outside diameter to its minimum wall thickness.
When adding to an existing underground gas installation, ensure
that the SDR dimensions match (often SDR-11 or SDR-9.3). The SDR is
indicated on the pipe’s manufacturer’s stripe. - Can your underground pipe be fusion
welded?
Yes, our underground pipe can be fusion welded. Please refer to our
fusion guide available on the homeflex.com website. - Can I use PVC fittings with your Underground gas
pipe?
No, PVC fittings are not compatible with our Underground gas pipe
due to being dissimilar materials and issues with
cementing/bonding. Additionally, they are not certified for use
together. - How do I know what size pipe I need for my
installation?
To determine the appropriate pipe size, you need to know the lineal
length of the entire installation, the total btu/h of all
appliances connected to the gas piping system, and the system
pressure and capabilities of your natural gas meter or LP tank
regulator. Once you have these factors, consult the sizing guides
in our Design & Installation Manual available at
homeflex.com. - What is tracer wire used for?
Tracer wire is a 14-gauge or thicker wire that is installed
alongside the poly pipe before burial. It extends to the surface
and is wrapped or zip-tied around the riser. Trenching or backhoe
services can connect their sensor equipment to the wire to
determine the underground routing.
Product Usage Instructions:
- Ensure that the underground PE gas pipe is certified for use
with Propane or Natural Gas. - When installing the PE underground gas pipe, make sure it is
buried at or below the code-mandated burial levels (typically 12-24
inches) and never above grade. - Use the Transition Fitting horizontally to connect D2513 yellow
poly gas pipe to black pipe. Install it at or below the
code-mandated burial levels. - Do not use CSST brass fittings with the Underground pipe as
they are not compatible. - Before final burial, pressure check the entire system for 30
minutes at 15psi. Avoid overnight testing due to potential false
positives caused by temperature and barometric changes. - No chamfering of the gas poly pipe is required before
installing compression fittings. - Avoid cutting down the riser. Instead, dig the trench deeper
under the riser to adjust the installation level above ground. - You can use our underground fittings with another
manufacturer’s pipe as long as the sizes match. - Ensure that the SDR dimensions of the pipe match when adding to
an existing underground gas installation. - Refer to our fusion guide on the homeflex.com website for
fusion welding instructions. - Do not use PVC fittings with the Underground gas pipe as they
are not compatible and not certified for use together. - Determine the appropriate pipe size based on the lineal length
of the installation, total btu/h of appliances, and system
pressure. Consult the sizing guides in our Design &
Installation Manual. - Install tracer wire alongside the poly pipe before burial to
assist in determining the underground routing.
HOME-FLEX® Underground Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use HOME-FLEX® Underground pipe inside my home? a. No. Polyethylene gas pipe, no matter who manufactures it, is not to be used in a building or under a foundation with a structure on it. Not only is it against all codes, it is potentially dangerous.
2. Can underground PE gas pipe be used for propane applications? a. Yes. It is certified for use with Propane as well as Natural Gas.
3. When installing PE underground gas pipe, is it alright to sweep it to the surface to make my final connections? a. No, all yellow gas pipe needs to be at or below code-mandated burial levels (12″ – 24″ depending on your local codes). The yellow poly pipe should never be above grade.
4. Can I use the Transition Fitting in a vertical format to make my own riser? a. No. The transition fitting is made to be used in a horizontal format to connect D2513 yellow poly gas pipe to black pipe. It must be at or below code mandated burial levels.
5. Why does the ½” meter riser have ¾” threads? a. Half-inch underground products aren’t in high demand. We use the same metal part on both the ½” and ¾” meter risers due to this low demand and to keep its retail price as low as possible. Further, most above-ground installation have ¾” fittings to the meter.
6. I want to transition from black pipe to yellow underground poly pipe. Can I do that with your underground products? a. Absolutely. We have all sizes of transition fittings and meter risers (1/2″ through 2″) that will enable you to make that metal-to-poly transition. Further, we recently introduced a new conversion fitting in ½”, ¾” and 1″ sizes. Check out part numbers 18-436-005, -007, and -010 at homeflex.com or at homedepot.com.
7. What is your “Conversion Fitting” for and how is it different than your “Transition Fitting?” a. The conversion fitting is a relatively new part we introduced to Home Depot in 2020 via homedepot.com. It is a combination of a HOME-FLEX® coupler and a transition fitting designed to transition between steel pipe and D2513 poly pipe. It is currently only available in ½”, ¾”, and 1″ sizes and only on homedepot.com.
8. Can I take apart HOME-FLEX® Underground fittings if I need to make adjustments or changes to my system? a. Yes. Unlike some push-to-connect fitting manufacturers, our underground fittings can be easily disassembled and reused.
9. Can I use your CSST brass fittings with your Underground pipe? a. No, they are completely different product lines and are not compatible.
10. After my system is complete and before final burial, how long must the system be pressurechecked and at what psi? a. We recommend you check the entire system for 30 minutes at 15psi. Overnight testing is not recommended due to “false positives” that may result from temperature and barometric changes.
11. Do I need to wrap HOME-FLEX® Underground parts prior to burial? a. No, the product line is purpose made for direct burial and does not need to be wrapped nor put in a conduit.
12. Do I have to chamfer your gas poly pipe prior to installation of your fittings? a. No. Unlike some push-to-connect gas fitting manufacturers, our gas pipe does not need to be chamfered prior to installation of our compression fittings.
13. I currently have yellow pipe marked as “CTS”. Can it be used with your underground fittings? a. CTS means “copper tubing size” which is significantly different that “IPS” (iron pipe sizing) which is most prevalent in the underground gas category today. So, even though your pipe may say “1/2″ CTS” it will not work with ½” IPS pipe fittings.
14. Does HOME-FLEX® offer an IPS (Iron Pipe Sizing) to CTS (Copper Tubing Sizing) conversion fitting? a. Yes. We have a ½” IPS to CTS conversion fitting. Part number 18-429-101. No other sizes are currently available.
15. The code mandated burial level for my installation is 18″ and I have limited room above surface. Can your riser be cut down to accommodate my installation? a. No, the riser may never be altered, although the PE end may be cut shorter. You should dig the trench deeper under the riser to adjust your installation level above ground.
16. Can I use your underground fittings with another manufacturer’s pipe? a. Yes, so long as the pipe and fitting sizes are the same. All manufacturers of D2513 poly pipe are held to the same dimensional and material standards.
17. What is “SDR”? a. This means “standard dimension ratio.” It is the ratio of a pipe’s average outside diameter to its minimum wall thickness. If adding to an existing underground gas installation, always ensure that SDR dimensions are the same (mostly SDR-11 (1/2″ is usually SDR-9.3)). SDR is shown on the pipe’s manufacturer’s stripe (along with other information). It may be shown as “SDR” or “DR”.
18. Can your underground pipe be fusion welded? a. Absolutely! Please check out our fusion guide in the “resources” section of the homeflex.com website.
19. Can I use PVC fittings with your Underground gas pipe? a. No, they are dissimilar materials and cementing/bonding would be an issue. Further, they are not certified for use together.
20. How do I know what size pipe I need for my installation? a. One must know the lineal length of the entire installation. You must also know the total btu/h of all appliances drawing off the gas piping system and, finally, you’ll have to know the system pressure and capabilities of your natural gas meter or LP tank regulator. Once those factors are determined, check out the sizing guides in our Design & Installation Manual available at homeflex.com.
21. How much pressure will your underground pipe and fittings handle? a. Typically, underground gas systems run at 1/4-10 psi and are stepped down to ¼ psi for natural gas and ½ psi for LP gas via a regulator either upon entry to the home or at the individual appliances. Our underground pipe is rated for a maximum of 80 psi and our fittings are rated for a maximum of 125 psi. All spec/submittal sheets are available in the “resource” section of homeflex.com.
22. What is tracer wire used for? a. This is a 14-gauge or thicker wire that is installed beside the poly pipe prior to burial. It extends to the surface and is wrapped or zip-tied around the riser. A trenching or backhoe service can connect their sensor equipment to the wire and determine the underground routing
of the gas pipe prior to digging. HOME-FLEX® tracer wire is available at homedepot.com (model # 18-TW100/250/500/1000). 23. I’ve followed all the instructions carefully for my installation of HOME-FLEX® Underground pipe but still have a leak in one of my connectors. What can I do? a. Not that our connectors leak much (it’s a very simple installation!), but check the following:
i. Ensure you use a PVC cutter to cut the pipe. Saws create a considerable amount of “plastic dust” that can negatively affect the sealing of the fitting and pipe if introduced into the fitting assembly.
ii. Make sure the connection is clean. Gravel, sand, grit, and plastic “saw dust” from the pipe can be detrimental to the sealing of the fitting and pipe.
iii. Make sure the pipe & stiffener is inserted straight into the fitting and bottoms out against the black main body. Installing on a significant radius may cause a leak.
iv. Make sure the fitting is tight. Tighten it as much by hand as possible and put another ¼ turn on it with a wrench. Do not over-tighten.
v. Ensure there are no gouges or scratches in the yellow poly pipe that would be inside the fitting. If so, disassemble the fitting and use a super-fine steel wool to gently smooth it out and being careful not create a flat spot on the OD of the pipe. If it still doesn’t seal, cut off the end of the pipe a bit, reassemble, and re-check. Do not use any plastic fillers to repair the pipe as codes mandate that the defective area of the pipe be removed and not repaired.
24. I see on HomeDepot.com that there’s a HOME-FLEX® installation kit available. Is it available in the Home Depot stores? a. No, it is an on-line item only and is stocked in Home Depot’s regional distribution centers for quick shipment to either your home or for will-call at your local store.
25. I see on HomeDepot.com that there’s a HOME-FLEX® installation kit available. Is it available in sizes above 1″? a. No. It is available only in ½”, ¾”, and 1″ sizes and only via homedepot.com. All parts can be purchased separately on homedepot.com. Stores do not carry HOME-FLEX® Underground products larger than 1″ in the stores.
Should you have any questions in addition to the above, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
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