Let GROEBNER’s established network of dependable, specialized vendors provide the materials and equipment you need.
The past two years of extraordinary circumstances, brought about by the pandemic, have challenged all of us in how we conduct our business. With over 45 years in the natural gas industry, GROEBNER had already established strong networks that have allowed us to flex with industry changes. Our relationships with industry-leading suppliers, as well as our status as product-stocking locations, give us agility and access that literally becomes your advantage. As we all navigate these times of supply chain issues, let GROEBNER, with our large, dependable network of manufacturers, assist you in obtaining the best components for your expanding utilities.
New and replacement construction of both residential and non-residential facilities requires the build-out of natural gas lines from the main to the buildings. You need piping that meets all PHMSA regulations for materials and manufacture. GROEBNER offers you Dura-Line PolyPipe, one of the largest manufacturers for medium and high-density pipe. PolyPipe is made of 100% prime virgin resin, a non-toxic material, for high reliability. It’s lightweight and flexible, known for its durability and safety.
Dura-Line is the only nation-wide manufacturer of the new and unique high performance medium density gas distribution pipe – PolyTough1. PolyTough1 is manufactured using a bimodal resin that provides outstanding resistance to slow crack growth and rapid crack propagation which provides for a safer gas distribution system at a lower cost.
GROEBNER also provides plastic fittings manufactured by Georg Fischer Central Plastics, a leader in the natural gas industry. Georg Fischer offers a variety of fittings and specialty fittings in butt fusion, socket fusion, and electrofusion connections. Both Dura-Line and Georg Fischer offer all the sizes and configurations that are required which will get the job completed correctly, every time.
Staying on the leading edge of industry technology, GROEBNER now offers a PHMSA-approved plastic alternative for high-pressure natural gas piping. In the past, steel was the only real option for moving natural gas with pressures above 125 psi. Now through our vendor network relationship with Evonik, we offer VESTAMID NRG 2021 Polyamide 12 (PA12) thermoplastic pipelines and fittings. PA12 is designed for pressures up to 250 psi and provides the benefits, cost savings, and flexibility of plastic pipe over steel pipelines.
Plastic pipe offers many advantages in safety and ease of installation on site. One is the ability to fuse pipe at the construction location, joining natural gas lines safely and reliably. There are several types of plastic fusion joining methods – butt fusion, electrofusion, sidewall fusion, socket fusion – each of which is designed to meet differing needs and site conditions. GROEBNER represents leaders in the field on all these types of fusion.
Butt fusion is the most widely used method, and McElroy machines are the industry leader. McElroy is recognized for the most reliable, rugged, and technically advanced fusion equipment on the market. Their butt fusion machines are sized to fuse 1/2” CTS to 78” OD plastic pipes. McElroy’s Mini-Mc, Pit Bull 14 Machine, Pit Bull 26 Machine, and 28 Machine are the go-to equipment to meet the jobsite demands of the natural gas utilities and their contractors.
To meet the latest demands of quality and accountability, McElroy’s butt fusion machines can be paired with the McElroy DataLogger, an Android-powered tablet that records and documents the key parameters of the fusion process. These joint records provide a quality check and verification that proper fusion procedures have been followed prior to installation, which is a growing jobsite requirement.
The electrofusion process is a simple and effective way to join plastic pipe. Georg Fischer's MSA 340 is the electrofusion processor on all crew trucks. The MSA 340 performs the fusion process and records the fusion data in its memory for future record keeping. As important as the EF processor is having the right tools to get the pipe ready for electrofusion. Cumberland Products’ Mandrel Pencil Scrapers and Mainline Scrapers prepare the exterior pipe so a quality electrofusion can be performed.
Sidewall or saddle fusion gives you high quality connections to main pipelines. And socket fusion is regularly used for smaller pipeline. When it comes to these two types of fusion, McElroy’s expertise has you covered there too. McElroy’s socket tooling offers the perfect method for the installation of fittings with the ability to socket fuse 1/2” CTS to 4” IPS pipe. Kits come in a range of sizes to fit your specific needs and include all of the necessary tooling. The Sidewinder fusion machines saddle fuse the branch saddles, tapping tees, and service saddle fittings onto the larger main sizes to run natural gas to the homes and commercial buildings.
When the project consists of working on existing polyethylene gas lines, you first need to control the flow of gas in the pipeline. Through Mustang Manufacturing, we can provide you with squeeze tools designed to do just that.
For smaller pipe sizes (1/2” to 4”), Mustang offers a complete line of ruggedly built, manually actuated tools – DBS-10A, DBS-11A, DBS-20C, DBS-24C, DBS-40F, DBS-44F. Each manual tool has a solid frame design that can accommodate multiple pipe sizes.
As the pipe size increases so does the need for more power. That is why in addition to the manual options – DBG-60, DBGA-80 – Mustang also offers hydraulic tools to tackle the larger pipe sizes.
These heavy-duty hydraulic tools – DBM-60, DBML-80, DBH-68-E, DBH-1200B – squeeze off pipe up to 12”. The hydraulic pump offers squeezing assistance by providing the correct volume and pressure for safe, reliable compressive force in a controlled manner.
Static electricity can also impact your squeeze-off process. All Mustang squeeze tools have an ability to be grounded with the SEG-30 static electric grounding device. The device safely channels electricity into the ground and away from the work area and crew. As a topical way to effectively eliminate static charges on PE gas pipe, PERC’s Statikil PE can be used prior to the squeeze-off process and remains effective even after the pipe is dry.
GROEBNER represents several manufacturers that provide protective products to strengthen old pipelines, reinforce the connections being made to them, and protect new pipeline from possible damage.
Tuff-N-Nuff Rockshield protects the pipeline from damage from rocks and debris, during and after the filling of the ditch. This Rockshield doesn’t interfere with manufacturer-applied cathodic protection and it’s designed for flexibility even at cold temperatures. Tuff-N-Nuff Rockshield comes in convenient sizes and can easily be installed by two or three people.
Sometimes, due to construction site conditions, you will need to apply pipeline corrosion prevention in the field. Chase Corporation’s Tapecoat / Royston provides just such protection in the form of hot and cold applied anti-corrosion tapes – TC20, H35, T-Tape, and Greenline. They have applications that can be used on both above and below ground pipelines, and provide the materials and flexibility needed to work in a variety of ambient temperatures, to protect metal pipelines, pipeline joints, and fittings.
When a pipeline is damaged or needs protection during installation, it’s vital that the work can be done as quickly and easily. CSNRI’s wraps – SynthoGlass and SynthoGlass XT – are unique pre-impregnated composites that can be used to reinforce pipelines without welding. They have wraps for applications below ground, above ground, and even underwater. These composite wraps repair and reinforce both internal and external corrosion on pipelines. NRI also offers a Scar-Guard line of products which are designed to protect field joint coatings. These products guard against abrasion stresses and scarring from directional drilling and boring, minimizing the need for spot repairs after a pull-back, while providing long-term protection.
As new interconnects on the main pipeline are made, the need to accurately measure and track the higher volumes of gas flow is great. Sensus Turbo Meters – Mark II and Auto-Adjust II – are the gas meter for the application. The Sensus Turbo Meters combine wide rangeability, low pressure loss, uninterrupted gas flow, and near instantaneous response to rapid flow change. They provide proven accurate and reliable measurement, all with a compact size which readily accepts a multitude of meter-mounted readout devices.
After the gas supply is established and you’re bringing that natural gas to your communities, you need to be able to rely on the meter sets you choose to be accurate, secure, and easy to maintain.
For the industrial and commercial applications, Romet rotary meters – RMT Series – offer the highest measurement accuracy with an integral electronic correction for both pressure and temperature. These rotary meters are a simple complete system with competitive meter pricing.
Romet also offers a full series of Advanced Electronic Modules (AdEM). With both direct mount and remote mount instrumentation solutions, you can get multiple configurations for live gas compensation, data logging, pulse outputs, and serial communications. Their patented AdEM Click is easy to install and can work seamlessly between popular brands and sizes of rotary meters. You can carry one electronic corrector for reduced inventory and fewer truck rolls.
For the smaller residential and commercial loads, the Sensus diaphragm meters – R-275 and R-415 – combine the latest design concepts and modern engineering materials. Lighter weight and easy to handle, they are more durable, require less maintenance, and offer greater life expectancy.
Sensus is always looking to innovate, to increase your efficiency, and decrease the lifetime cost of operations. Their Sonix IQ ultrasonic gas meter (the electronic version of residential and commercial diaphragm meters) does that through ultrasonic technology to give you pinpoint measurement of natural gas in residential applications. Its solid state construction eliminates moving internal parts, so there’s nothing to wear out or replace. There is an available FlexNet radio that allows you to integrate seamlessly with your entire network.
When your residential and industrial meters are in place, it’s crucial for you to be able to work on a customer’s meter safely, quickly, and with no interruption in service. And of course, your business demands this all be done with minimal expense. A.Y. McDonald provides bypass meter bars which allow for the meter work to be done without any impact to the customer, no matter the time of day and in any conditions.
Natural gas regulators serve an important role in regulating pressure and flow in the natural gas system. The high pressure flow of gas through the pipelines goes into the regulator and then it reduces the pressure to the commercial and residential customer applications. You need reliable, proven regulators that can cover the wide range of applications and uses for natural gas throughout your system.
GROEBNER represents two of the finest regulator manufacturers in the industry. Our partnerships with Sensus and Pietro Fiorentini (PF) offer you access to regulators for both residential and commercial use. PF regulators are also hydrogen ready for NG-H2 blending.
Three popular styles of regulators for residential use are the Sensus 143-80, Sensus 496, and PF FE regulators. The Sensus 143-80 model is a 6” service diaphragm regulator with an internal relief device which is also available in a low pressure cut off version. The Sensus 496 is a 4” roll-out diaphragm regulator with an internal relief valve. And the PF FE is a balanced two stage, dual diaphragm regulator with over and under pressure shut-off designed for abnormal operating conditions.
For commercial / industrial applications, the Sensus 243, Sensus 461, and Sensus 441 are large capacity regulators designed for a wide range of commercial applications. PF’s Norval is a direct-operated regulator with a balanced-valve design making it super accurate for a wide variety of applications. For industrial applications, the PF Aperval and Aperflux are high pressure, large capacity regulators in a boot style design while the Reval / Reflux regulators are high pressure, large capacity in a direct acting design.
The environments where natural gas pipeline systems can be installed and maintained can also be subject to hazardous gases. It’s important for the safety of your workers and your customers to monitor these confined spaces and, when needed, to quickly pinpoint the source of a combustible gas leak. GROEBNER has developed a partnership with SENSIT Technologies, an experienced leader in the field of leak detection solutions who offers a number of solutions to meet your various needs in the field.
The SENSIT GOLD G2 is ideal for locating above and below ground gas leaks, confined space monitoring, pipeline purging, leak survey, and other applications. SENSIT GOLD G2 multi-gas detector can be configured with up to 4 sensors for combustible and toxic gases as well as oxygen.
For methane detection, SENSIT's GAS•TRAC LZ50 offers a compact, handheld, laser-enabled device that can find methane leaks in hard-to-reach locations, from up to 150 feet away. While the SENSIT PMD2 is a small, lightweight precision instrument used to survey, pinpoint, and grade methane leaks. It has on-board GPS, datalogging, mapping, and the best sensitivity in its class, so you not only make accurate leak surveys, but have the data trail to back them up.
Personal monitoring is also extremely important for your field workers’ safety. SENSIT offers the P100 a rugged personal device for single gas selections. And they offer the P400 for multiple gas leak detections. Your staff and customers can be covered in any type of leak monitoring and survey situation.
Wherever pipelines – large or small – are laid, there is the potential for damage to the line from external impacts. Third party damage to pipelines can be prevented if proper marking is done making the pipelines “visible”. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulations state that underground pipelines should be permanently marked with above ground markers in a “line-of-sight” fashion. These pipeline markers are used to help prevent accidental damage to underground pipelines by directing digging and heavy equipment traffic away from pipeline beds.
To meet all these important criteria, Rhino Marking and Protection Systems offers a wide variety of pipeline markers. Rugged materials such as fiberglass, plastic, and steel ensure on-site durability, able to withstand impacts from vehicles and other equipment. These materials also offer bright, permanent colors and customizable content, so your information is specific and readable for the long run. And Rhino Markers come in multiple configurations – drivable posts, triangular markers, signs, and more – to give you the best options for visibility and site conditions.
One of Rhino’s most popular markers are the TriView Marker Posts. The highly visible triangular design ensures that your warning message can be seen from any direction. The marker is so durable and flexible that it can withstand repeated vehicle impacts up to 55 MPH and still snap back to its original upright position.
Being able to detect the exact location of your underground utilities is crucial to keeping your customers safe and to protecting your infrastructure assets. We work with Copperhead Industries, to give you access to their strong, reliable tracer wire. They offer an extensive selection of tracer wire for open cut, directional drilling, and direct bury underground applications. Copperhead can meet your specific implementation needs.
Tracer wire requires a reliable locating system. Copperhead also provides the ViperMag pipe and cable locator. It’s the only locator in its class that utilizes both active locating frequencies and a ferrous metal detector in one device. This accurate single tool streamlines your field worker's process.
You Need the Best Products and Equipment from Pipeline to Meter
As you work to maintain and expand your utility systems, you need to make sure you're working with the most qualified and flexible team of vendors for your supplies. It’s time-consuming to develop trusted relationships with suppliers, time you can put to better use in the field and working with your customers.
Let GROEBNER’s established network of dependable, specialized vendors and our own on-shelf products help ensure you have the materials and equipment you need to manage your pipeline systems. GROEBNER's expert sales team will help you get connected to the right supplier, in the right timeframes, to fulfill your specific needs. Contact us today so we can get started, helping you serve your customers in an efficient, timely manner.