It's starting to get a little colder here in the
Pacific NorthWest and they're asking us to conserve
electricity. They're even saying that it might
be possible to experience rolling blackouts.
So I started to look at the use of natural gas for
heat, lighting, and cooking. My first stop was the
fireplace as I have one of those PhoneyPhlame (tm)
"Logs". It's basicly a 1 x 12 inch chunk of pipe
with 8 small holes drilled in it. Turn on the gas
with a valve outside the fireplace, a match, and
instant fire.
So it looks like your basic "appliance" is a piece
of metal with a small leak and a valve to turn off
the gas.
I'm not planning on heating the house with a large
leaking pipe and a valve but I am interested in
making a fireplace insert that would burn wood
as well as having the pipe with holes that would
allow me to use natural gas instead of cord wood.
Do the rules change when there's no chimney available?
What if I wanted to use a natural gas flame in
a small lamp? I understand that gas was used for
lighting 100 years ago. Can I use an open natural
gas flame to heat various steel plate fabrications
if I wanted a stove, oven, griddle, and/or grill in case
the electricity fails?
Steve Shipley
Seattle, WA
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