Gas and seismic valves
The gas shuts off when the ground moves.
Gas line installation and repair from three-quarter inch to three inch, and seismic shut-off valves fitted at the meter and tested before we leave.
Two systems you notice only once.
Natural gas runs the furnace, the boiler, the water heater and the range, and it is the one system in the home where a mistake is not recoverable. Poor indoor air quality is the mild version. Fire and explosion are the other one. We have installed and repaired gas piping in San Francisco since 1998, from three-quarter inch through three inch, and every job is done to the code that applies to it.
Material matters more than most people expect. Black iron, steel, high-density polyethylene, PVC, copper and galvanized steel all appear in gas work, and not every one of them is permitted in every application. We tell you what suits the run, what local requirements allow, and why the pipe already in the building is or is not still appropriate.
The valve is the other half of the work. A seismic shut-off valve connects directly to the gas meter and senses the pressure change that violent shaking produces, then closes the gas automatically. In a city with San Francisco’s fault history that is the difference between a damaged home and a fire.
The work
What we take on
Gas line installation
Three-quarter inch through three inch, sized for the appliances the run has to serve.
Gas line repair and replacement
Sections replaced where corrosion or movement has compromised them, then pressure tested.
Appliance connections
Furnaces, boilers, water heaters and ranges, connected and checked at the appliance and at the line.
Leak assessment
Once the building has been cleared and PG&E has secured the line, we locate the failure and repair it.
Material and code review
Black iron, steel, HDPE, PVC, copper and galvanized steel, matched to the application and to local requirements.
Seismic shut-off valve installation
Connected directly to the gas meter, positioned where it will work, and fitted to safety standards.
Valve testing
We simulate seismic conditions on site and confirm the valve responds before we call the job done.
Homeowner walkthrough
How the valve works, how to tell it has tripped, and what to do after an earthquake.
Questions
What clients ask first
A rotten egg smell, gas bills that keep climbing, plants dying for no reason, gas appliances working poorly, or a hissing sound near a line. Any one of them is a reason to call a licensed plumber.
Leave the building and do not switch anything on or off. Call PG&E to report the leak. Call us once the building has been cleared and the line is secure, and we will assess the system.
It connects to the gas meter and senses the pressure change that violent shaking causes. When it detects that change it releases and shuts off the flow of gas to the building automatically.
We inspect the gas lines, select the position where the valve will function correctly, connect it to the meter, test it against simulated conditions, and then show you how it works.
Black iron, steel, high-density polyethylene, PVC, copper and galvanized steel all have gas applications. Which one suits your run depends on where it goes and what local requirements permit.
Begin
Tell us about the home. We’ll take it from here.
A consultation for your build, your remodel, or a place in the Membership. If it’s an emergency, call us now.