Gas Line Installation and Repair
Our Safety Precautions
The first step of any gas line job is to turn the gas off to the house, then we do our repair and then test it. Most of the gas pressure at a house is 4 ounces. If you’re on regular pressure, we have to test it at 3 pounds. So, after we finish the repair, then we have to put a test on it to make sure it holds and then call for an inspection.
If it’s a minor repair, for example replacing a flex line, that’s not an issue because we have a stop. However, if we’re replacing part of the main gas line of a house or cutting into it and adding to it, we always test it after we’re done and get an inspection.
If we’re changing a stop or a flick line or if you want your gas line at ninety degrees instead of poking straight out in the cabinet, those are minor repairs. We don’t have to get the city involved. But, if we start getting into replacing pieces of pipe because it rotted out, or we’re cutting in and going to add a branch line going over to a grill, for example, then that whole system has to be retested by the city.
This process of getting an inspection done is not a big deal. We simply call the city for an inspection, the city comes out, makes sure the line is holding, and green tags it, which tells you that it is done right and you’re not going to have problems.
Risks of Ignoring Gas Line Issues
The main risk of not addressing a gas leak problem at your house is that gas is going to fill up your house. If you turn your stove on and that electric igniter ignites, it can blow your house up. If you smell gas, you never want to ignore it. You need to call us immediately.
When we get a call for a gas leak, the first thing we do is disconnect from the meter and put a test on at the meter which goes through the yard. We turn off all the supply stops, like the stove, the heating unit, the water heater, and then test it. If there’s not a stop at the house, we have to disconnect it, cut it loose at the house, and test the yard separate from the house to determine which one is actually leaking. The majority of the time, it’s the yard service.
