If your home has natural gas service, it must have lines that deliver the gas to each appliance. The installation and repair of these home gas lines requires professional knowledge and skills. In fact, even if you have done DIY work on your home’s plumbing before, you should probably trust your gas line service to a plumber. Here’s everything that you should know about your home’s gas delivery system and why you should not work on it yourself.
System of Home Gas Lines
The gas lines for your home start at the meter. This site is where the city’s gas supply reaches your property and passes through the meter. How much gas your home uses registers on the meter, which the gas company uses to calculate your utility bill.
From the meter, the gas line typically is black steel to distinguish it from water supply lines. This pipe will often first go to the water heater. But branches may serve your home’s boiler, fireplace, clothes dryer, and stove.
Why Working on Home Gas Lines is Dangerous for Homeowners
Knowing that gas lines are usually black steel will help you to avoid them when doing any home improvement tasks around piping. As a homeowner, handling the gas lines is not a good idea. You may not reattach them as intended or use products that meet building codes. Making mistakes with replacing home gas lines could put your life at risk. Therefore, you should always call a plumber if you need to make repairs to your home’s gas appliances.
The strict requirements for installing and replacing gas lines or servicing gas appliances help to prevent leaks. Gas leaks can send odorless, colorless carbon monoxide gas into your home’s air. Because you cannot detect this gas with your senses, you could succumb to its deadly fumes. Many people have died from carbon monoxide inhalation.
To prevent such a tragedy in your home, install carbon monoxide detectors around your house. Have at least one on each floor and one outside bedroom areas. Test these and replace batteries on the same schedule that you use for your smoke detectors.
What to Do In Case of a Gas Leak
If a gas leak does happen, you may notice a rotten egg smell or hear a hissing from gas appliances. You may also hear your carbon monoxide detectors go off.
When this happens, the first thing to do is evacuate everyone from the home. Never turn on lights or use a phone inside your home. Also, do not turn on your car if you have an attached garage. Walk to a safe place and first call the gas company. Your utility provider will send a crew to turn off the gas supply to your home. After they leave, you can return to your home. Then, contact us at Plumbing Concepts to find the source of the leak and fix it safely.
Contact Plumbing Concepts for Gas Line Repairs, Service, or New Installation
If you need repairs to your home gas lines or want to install a new gas appliance, call us at Plumbing Concepts at (951) 338-6826. Don’t attempt gas line repairs on your home due to the risk of causing a leak. Let us handle gas leaks. Let us take care of these and all other plumbing concerns that you may have.
