Renovating your kitchen or other parts of your home is a great way to modernize your house and increase its value. The only thing is that performing major renovations to a home almost always requires extensive demolition and construction, which could potentially end up damaging one of your home’s gas lines. The last thing you want is to have damage occur that results in a gas leak. Follow these tips to avoid any hazards and ensure the work can be done safely.
Determine if You Need to Have Your Gas Service Line Disconnected
The first thing to do, when planning a renovation project, is to determine if there are any gas lines near the area you’re renovating. If you’re doing any type of renovation, demolition or construction where there is a gas line nearby, you’ll almost always need to at least have your utility company shut off your gas service until the project is complete or while working near the gas line. This is obviously the case if you’re renovating your kitchen and have a gas stove or oven.
If you plan on living in the house while you’re doing the renovations and you have a gas water heater or other gas appliances, you’ll want to have a licensed plumbing company disconnect and cap the gas line to your stove and oven. That way, you can still have hot water and run any other gas appliances while the renovations are being performed. Depending on the scope of the work, it will sometimes be necessary to disconnect that gas line where it ties into your main service line to ensure it doesn’t get damaged and potentially start leaking once it’s reconnected. In this case, you’ll need to have a new line installed once you’ve finished all of the necessary demolition and are further along with the renovations.
During a major renovation, many gas companies require that you have the gas service to your home completely disconnected. In this case, you’ll need to notify the gas company of the planned work at least two to four weeks in advance and have them come and perform a complete disconnect before the work starts. They’ll first shut off the service line leading to your gas meter and then disconnect this line from the meter, cap it and usually remove the meter. The reason all of this is necessary is that it simply isn’t safe to leave your gas connected when performing any project that requires major construction or demolition.
Your local building and planning department may also require you to you have your gas service line disconnected when doing any type major renovations. You’ll need to show a letter from the gas company stating that they’ve disconnected your service before the department will issue the required building permits to get started on the project.
Make Sure to Have a Utility Locate Performed
You are legally required to call 811 and have a utility locate performed when doing any type of digging on your property. This is to ensure that you’re aware of the exact location of any underground utility lines so that they don’t accidentally get damaged. You obviously don’t need to call for a locate if you’re just renovating part of the interior of your house and not doing any digging outside. If you’re putting an addition onto your house or doing any other work that requires digging, you can face massive fines and penalties if you end up damaging utility lines because you didn’t have a utility locate performed.
In Indiana, you are required to call 811 and submit a ticket for a utility locate no less than two full working days before you plan on starting to dig or excavate. This service is free and required by law. Once you submit the ticket, Indiana 811 will then contact your local utility providers and have them send someone out to mark the exact location of all underground utility lines. When planning out your project, you should also make sure to mark the location where you need to dig before the utility workers arrive.
Even if the project requires you to have your gas service temporarily shut off or completely disconnected, a utility locate is still necessary. If your gas is shut off, there’s no risk of damaging a gas line while digging in the area and potentially causing an explosion. The issue is that the damaged gas line will likely immediately start leaking once your service is reconnected or turned back on.
If there is a gas line in the area where the work is going to be performed, you’ll again need to have your gas shut off or your service completely disconnected. In Indiana, there is a tolerance zone of 24 inches from each side of a gas line plus the width of the line. If you need to do any digging or excavation within this tolerance zone, you’re not allowed to use any type of power excavator. If the gas line is not in the way but you still need to dig within the tolerance zone, the excavation company can either dig around the line by hand or use vacuum excavation.
If you have a gas line that’s directly where you plan on digging and pouring a foundation, you’ll need to have your gas company perform a full disconnect so that the line can be safely removed and then rerouted to your home in a different location.
Always Hire an Experienced, Licensed Plumbing Service
One thing that many people aren’t aware of is that most places only allow licensed plumbing companies to do any type of gas line work. Even if your renovation project doesn’t require any alterations to your water, drain and sewer system, you still need to hire a plumber if you’re working anywhere near a gas line. The plumbing company will then inspect the area and discuss with you your exact plans for the renovation so that they can determine exactly what needs to be done to ensure the work can be performed safely. Once they know what they need to do, they can then also handle all of the other aspects, from having the utility locate performed and getting your gas shut off to capping and moving any gas lines.
The last thing you want to do is try to work on a gas line yourself or trust the work to anyone who isn’t fully licensed and experienced. Even if you think there’s no chance of a gas line being damaged during your renovation project, you should still always consult with a licensed plumbing company beforehand just to ensure everything is done safely.
Hope Plumbing is a full-service plumbing company with years of experience helping Indianapolis homeowners with all of their water, drain, sewer and gas line needs. If you’re planning a renovation, our experienced team can perform a full inspection of your gas lines and do whatever it takes to ensure all of the necessary work can be done safely. Whether you need to have a gas line capped or moved or require any other plumbing service, contact us today.
