Gas Line Repair: Same Day Service

Signs of a Gas Line Problem

Gas problems call for caution before diagnosis. A rotten-egg smell, hissing near a line or appliance, or burner flames that are yellow instead of blue all need attention, and the first two mean leaving the house. If you smell gas, see what to do immediately. For new lines, see gas line installation.

• A rotten-egg or sulfur smell
• A hissing sound near a gas line or appliance
• Dead or dying vegetation above a buried gas line
• Yellow or orange burner flames instead of steady blue
• A gas bill that is higher than usual

Carbon Monoxide: The Gas Problem You Can't Smell

Natural gas has an added odor so leaks can be noticed. Carbon monoxide, produced when gas appliances burn poorly or vent badly, has none. Early symptoms such as headache, dizziness and nausea are easy to mistake for the flu, especially if they ease when you leave the house.

• Install CO detectors on every level of the home and near sleeping areas.
• If an alarm sounds, get everyone outside into fresh air and call 911.
• Have appliances that show yellow flames, soot or frequent pilot outages checked, because poor combustion produces more CO.

When a Gas Problem Is an Emergency

Any suspected gas leak is an emergency, but it's one for the gas utility first, not a plumber. Get everyone out, call from outside, and let the utility make the house safe before any repair.

• You smell rotten eggs or sulfur in the house. Leave immediately and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
• You hear hissing near a gas line or appliance.
• A carbon monoxide alarm goes off.
• A gas line has been hit while digging.

What to Do if You Smell Gas

1. Leave the building immediately and take everyone with you.
2. Don't use light switches, phones, appliances, or anything that could make a spark inside.
3. Don't try to find the leak yourself.
4. From a safe distance outside, call your gas utility's emergency line or 911.
5. Don't go back inside until the utility or fire department says it's safe.

How Gas Line Repairs Are Done Safely

Gas work is done in a strict order: make it safe, find the leak, repair it, then prove the repair with a pressure test before the gas goes back on. Most jurisdictions require a permit and inspection, which the plumber arranges.

1. The gas utility or a licensed professional makes the site safe and shuts off the gas if needed.
2. Pressure test the system to confirm and locate the leak.
3. Repair or replace the faulty fittings, pipe or appliance connector.
4. Pressure test again and leak-check every joint.
5. Complete permits and inspection, then restore service and relight the pilot lights.

Gas Piping Materials

Black iron pipe

Rigid steel pipe. The traditional choice for indoor gas piping.

CSST

Corrugated stainless steel tubing. Flexible and quick to install, but must be properly bonded under code and the manufacturer's requirements.

Polyethylene (PE) yard line

Plastic pipe for buried outdoor gas lines.

CSST Bonding and Why It Matters

Corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) is flexible gas pipe, often with a yellow or black jacket. Manufacturers and plumbing codes require it to be bonded to the home's electrical grounding system, because a nearby lightning strike can energize unbonded tubing and damage it. If your home has CSST and you're not sure it was bonded, ask a licensed plumber or electrician to check.

What Affects the Cost of Gas Line Work

Gas line cost depends on whether you need a repair or a new line, how long the run is and what it connects to. Permits, pressure testing and inspection are part of every job.

• Leak repair or new installation.
• Length of the run and how many appliances are connected.
• Pipe material: black iron, CSST (which must be bonded) or buried polyethylene.
• Line sizing. Adding a high-demand appliance such as a tankless water heater may require a larger line.
• Permits, pressure testing and inspection, which most cities require.

How Gas Piping Rules Differ by City

Who regulates gas piping isn't the same everywhere. Fort Worth adopted the International Fuel Gas Code alongside its plumbing code, so gas work there follows the IFGC with local amendments. In Seattle, plumbing permits come from Public Health - Seattle & King County, and gas piping is regulated under a separate city gas piping license rather than the plumbing code's gas chapter. Ask any contractor which license and permit applies before gas work starts.

Local plumbing details: Fort Worth, Seattle

What to Have Ready for a Gas Line Job

For a new gas line, the plumber needs to know what appliances it will feed and their gas ratings, which are on the appliance labels.

• For a new line: the appliances you're connecting and their gas input ratings (on the appliance label).
• Where the gas meter is and the route you'd like the line to take.
• For outdoor lines, call 811 so buried utilities are marked before digging.

After Gas Line Work

Make sure pilot lights are relit and appliance flames look right, and keep carbon monoxide detectors working on every level.

• The utility or plumber should relight pilot lights and check appliance flames.
• Keep carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home.
• Keep the inspection paperwork with your home records.

How to Stay Safe Around Gas Appliances

• Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home.
• Have gas appliances serviced regularly.
• Call 811 before digging, so buried utility lines are marked.
• Never hang items from gas pipes or use them as supports.

Gas Line Questions Homeowners Ask