South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 103 - PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Article 4 - GAS SYSTEMS
Subarticle 6 - INSPECTION AND TESTS
Section 103-474 - Facilities and Equipment for Testing

Universal Citation: SC Code Regs 103-474

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 3, March 22, 2024

1. General. Each gas utility shall, unless specifically excused by the commission, provide such laboratory, meter-testing equipment and other equipment and facilities as may be necessary to make the tests required of it by these rules or other orders of the commission or as requested by the ORS. The apparatus and equipment so provided shall be subject to the approval of the commission, and it shall be available at all times for the inspection or use of any member or authorized representative of the ORS.

2. Meter Shop. Each gas utility shall maintain or designate a meter shop for the purpose of inspecting, testing and repairing meters. The shop shall be open for inspection by authorized representatives of the ORS at all reasonable times, and the facilities and equipment, as well as the methods of measurements and testing employed, shall be subject to the approval of the commission. The area within the meter shop used for the testing of meters shall be designed so that the meters and meter testing equipment are protected from drafts and excessive changes in temperature. The meters to be tested shall be stored in such manner that the temperature of the meters is substantially the same as the temperature of the prover.

3. Working Standards.

A. Each gas utility furnishing metered gas service shall own an approved type of meter prover or designate a meter shop which is equipped with an approved type of meter prover preferably of not less than two cubic feet capacity, equipped with suitable thermometers and other necessary accessories, and it shall maintain such equipment in proper adjustment so that it shall be capable of determining the accuracy of any service meter to within one-half of one percent.

B. Bell provers shall be so placed that they will not be subjected to drafts or excessive temperature variations.

C. Means shall be provided to maintain the temperature of the liquid in bell provers at substantially the same level as the ambient temperature in the prover room.

D. Each gas utility having meters which are too large for testing on a five cubic foot bell prover shall use a properly calibrated test meter or a properly designed flow prover for testing the large meters.

E. The accuracy of all provers and methods of operating them will be established from time to time by a representative of the ORS. All alterations, accidents, or repairs which might affect the accuracy of any meter prover or the method of operating it shall be promptly reported in writing to the commission and the ORS.

F. Working standards must be checked periodically by comparison with a secondary standard.
1. Bell provers must be checked with a cubic foot bottle which has been calibrated by the National Bureau of Standards, unless another standard is authorized by the commission.

2. Transfer and Flow Provers must be checked with a bell prover of adequate capacity which has been calibrated by representatives of the National Bureau of Standards unless another standard is authorized by the commission.

G. Extreme care must be exercised in the use and handling of standards to assure that their accuracy is not disturbed.

H. Each gas utility must have properly calibrated orifices, as may be necessary, to achieve the rates of flow required to test the meters on its system.

4. Special Meters. Any meter, the readings or record of which is based on the differential pressure in such meter or upon the measurement of any portion of the total gas delivered to a customer, shall be tested for accuracy before being placed in service in a manner satisfactory to the commission.

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