The 2018 International Fuel Gas Code Made Simple

Size It Right, Vent It Safe, and Pass Inspection the First Time
A gas system that holds its pressure test can still starve a furnace on the coldest morning, spill flue gas into a basement, or fail final over one misplaced fitting. This guide closes the gap between a tight system and a correct one. It turns the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code into clear, practical decisions you can apply on real jobs.
Designed for plumbers, gas fitters, HVAC installers, inspectors, and licensing candidates, it follows the work in the order it happens: connected load and developed length, pipe sizing, appliance location, combustion air, venting, regulators, pressure testing, purging, and appliance startup.
Rather than restating code language, it explains each requirement with the reasoning behind it. Worked sizing examples, teaching-point illustrations, and decision flowcharts show precisely what to check, in what order, and why it matters to safety and approval.
It also tackles the hard calls in existing buildings: spillage and carbon monoxide diagnosis, orphaned water heaters, tightened homes starved for combustion air, low-pressure complaints, CSST bonding after lightning, and safe conversions between natural gas and propane.
Skills This Guide Puts in Your Hands:

• Pipe sizing without guesswork: Build load schedules, measure developed length, and apply the longest length, branch length, and hybrid pressure methods with confidence.
• Category I venting made clear: Read FAN Min, FAN Max, and NAT Max correctly, apply elbow and liner corrections, and resize vents after furnace replacements.
• Combustion air you can defend: Size the standard, infiltration, indoor, outdoor, combination, and mechanical methods by true free area.
• Piping materials installed right: Join, protect, bond, and size steel, copper, CSST, and polyethylene to code and manufacturer rules.
• Tests and purges that pass: Set test pressure, choose the right gauge, isolate appliances, purge safely, and leak-check with confidence.
• Troubleshooting by measurement: Diagnose spillage, carbon monoxide, low pressure, failing vents, and leaks, and know when to shut off and tag.
• Exam-ready code navigation: Use proven open-book strategies to find answers fast on licensing and certification tests.