The installation of natural gas in Poland is a very common choice for residents of blocks of flats and detached houses alike. Domestic hot water heating with natural gas and the use of a gas installation to heat food are most common in blocks of flats and townhouses, but single-family homes can also benefit from this solution.

Natural gas in a single-family home - key information

Gas is one of the so-called conventional energy fuels. In the case of detached houses, it is possible to use gas to heat the building, to produce domestic hot water and to heat meals in cookers. The gas heating system can take two forms, which result from the form of concentration of the gas supplied:

• LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) - is stored in a special tank, which is usually located outside the building,
• natural gas - the use of this type of fuel is possible only if the building has a natural gas supply system.

We deal with the latter type of gas installation in single-family homes. A natural gas installation in a single-family home is a system of pipes and appliances that are run both outside and inside the home. The natural gas installation in any single-family home consists of components such as:

• connection routed from the gas main,
• main tap,
• gas cabinet with gas meter,
• vertical,
• utility lines that are directed to gas appliances.

The gas system is used to supply domestic gas consumers, which are most commonly:

• gas boiler (central heating, can also be used for domestic hot water),
• domestic hot water heater (so-called gas cooker),
• gas cooker,
• gas fireplace.

Natural gas installation - what are the legal requirements?

Planning permission is required for an internal natural gas installation (i.e. from the gas cabinet). This does not apply to houses that include a gas connection plan in the planning permission for the house. The starting point of the natural gas installation is the connection to the main tap (used to cut off the installation from the connection). Specific gas appliances are defined as the termination of the gas installation.

In order to obtain a gas grid connection permit, this must be requested from the gas supplier. The next step is to submit an application. The gas companies have forms available on site or on their website. The connection conditions must be specified. In the case of single-family houses, an application is submitted for the determination of the connection conditions for the entity applying for connection to the gas network, which provides for the offtake of gas fuel in an amount of no more than 10 m3/h (in terms of natural, high-methane gas). The application should also be accompanied by a map for information purposes (on a scale of 1:500 or 1:1000 with the location of the gas cabinet marked). You will also need a copy of the title deed to the building together with a declaration of ownership. If you are a co-owner, you will also need to include the consent of the owners or co-owners. The consent relates to the gas supply to the building and to the installation of gas appliances in the building.

The next stage is the submission of an application for conclusion of a gas grid connection agreement. The final stage is the preparation of a gas connection design together with the submission of a construction notification to a relevant authority, e.g. the district governor's office.

Home natural gas installation - safety

For any domestic natural gas installation, safety is very important. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the premises are properly ventilated, that frequent inspections of the network are carried out and that the highest quality equipment is invested in. For domestic gas installations, products such as gas meters (e.g. BK G16 bellows gas meter, G6 bellows gas meter, G10 gas meter), gas boxes (e.g. double gas box standing horizontal 1000x700x250 with canopy ash, gas box 600 x 600 x 250 mm free-standing metal stylish antique copper), as well as gas gate valve DN 32 with PE40 PN10 end connections.

A natural gas system is a cheap, practical and easy-to-use way to heat a detached house. However, a natural gas network must run close to the house and all formalities must be completed.