Damaged Gas Line Repair Methods
If your home uses gas to power your appliances or to make heat, you'll want to be careful around the gas lines so that you don't accidentally damage one as you're working in areas where the lines are exposed. Gas lines can be damaged just like plumbing lines. In the case of gas lines, a damaged line can be a serious hazard. Here's when to suspect a gas line is damaged and how a plumber can repair a damaged gas line.
Signs You Could Have A Damaged Gas Line
If you cause the damage yourself, you'll know right away the line is damaged, but if the leak is small and it's in the basement or another place that's out of the way, you may not realize you have a problem. Your gas bill might go up, the appliance the line goes to might operate erratically, you might get a whiff of rotten eggs occasionally, grass might be dead near an outdoor leak, and you might hear hissing with a big leak.
Leak Repairs With Epoxy And Tape
Damaged gas line repairs can be done a couple of ways. One way is to replace the line and the other is to seal it. Repairing a gas line is a job for a licensed professional since the work can be dangerous. The plumber starts by turning off the gas and removing the covers from the line. Then, they can see the line and clean it. After cleaning, they may scruff the line with sandpaper and clean it again.
After that, the leaky area can be patched with rubber tape and epoxy. The plumber needs to check their work carefully and test for leaks to make sure the gas leak has stopped and the line is safe to use.
Gas Line Replacement
In some cases, it may be best to replace the gas line. A plumber can do this by disconnecting the old line at both ends at a connection and replacing the old line with a new one. If the gas line is under the ground, the plumber might need to dig it up to replace it. However, trenchless methods are also available.
With a trenchless gas line replacement, the plumber drills through the ground to make a long horizontal hole so the drill can grab a gas line and pull it through the ground. Once the line is in place, it's hooked up to the old connections. This allows the plumber to put in a new gas line without digging out the old one, and this spares your yard from damage.
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