How often are you scheduling routine gas line maintenance with your Houston plumbing company? If it’s less than once a year, you could be putting yourself and your family at risk. Gas lines need regular inspections and maintenance to help protect your home from gas leaks. Make sure you know what condition your gas lines are in and schedule repairs as soon as you notice signs of deterioration. Also, know the signs of a gas leak and what to do if one occurs.
Call Your Houston Plumbing Company for Routine Gas Line Services
Just like any other piece of your plumbing, gas lines do need maintenance and replacement to help prevent malfunctions and costly repairs. However, with gas lines, this is even more vital. With water pipes, you risk flooding your home and dealing with extensive water damage. With gas lines, however, you could be risking lives.
Natural gas is flammable and can cause health issues when inhaled. Therefore, it’s important to work with your Houston plumbing company for gas line services. This can help you avoid serious consequences of do-it-yourself maintenance. In addition, it’s illegal for anyone other than a licensed plumber to service gas lines. Therefore, make sure you call your plumber for necessary gas line services.
Inspections
Regular inspections are an important part of gas line maintenance. In most cases, you should have your Houston plumbing company do a gas line inspection at least once every year. However, professional inspections every six months are even better. Generally, most people have their gas lines inspected at the beginning of every winter and every summer. This helps you keep track of when you’re due for an inspection. Also, extreme temperatures can cause pipes to expand and contract. This means that your gas lines may be more prone to cracking during these seasons.
In between professional inspections, you can also do quick visual inspections for extra caution. Take care to turn off your gas appliances, like stoves, dryers, water heaters, and furnaces. Then, look at the lines you can see that lead up to these appliances. You can also inspect the lines by the meters, which are usually located right outside your home. If you see any signs of cracks, rust, or corrosion, call your Houston residential plumber for professional inspection and gas line repairs.
Repairs
If your gas lines are particularly old or are showing signs of deterioration, your plumber will likely need to repair or replace your gas lines for safety. Gas pipes that are starting to wear out should be replaced before they turn into a serious situation. The longer you wait for repairs, the more you risk experiencing a gas leak. Instead, if you think you need repairs for your gas lines, call and schedule an appointment with your Houston plumbing company as soon as possible.
Do You Call Your Houston Plumbing Company if You Suspect a Gas Leak?
If you don’t repair deteriorating gas lines in time, they can corrode and start leaking natural gas into your home. This is a serious issue, as natural gas is highly flammable and can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation. Long-term exposure to natural gas or even extremely high levels of gas can even lead to unconsciousness or death. Therefore, everyone should know the signs of a gas leak and what to do if you detect one.
Signs of a Gas Leak
There can be many different signs of a gas leak in your home, so it’s important to know what to look for. If you do notice any of the signs of a gas leak, you should leave your home immediately. Natural gas is extremely flammable and can cause negative health effects in extreme cases. If you believe you have a gas leak, leave your home immediately, leaving the doors open to allow the gas to dissipate. Don’t touch any electrical devices or do anything that could cause a spark. This includes using your cell phone. Call your Houston plumbing company once you’re in a safe place away from the leak.
One of the most obvious signs of a gas leak is smelling a sulfur or rotten eggs smell. Natural gas is actually odorless, but the gas company adds this non-toxic, artificial smell to help you detect gas leaks. Also, you might notice hissing noises in your walls or near gas appliances from gas escaping the line. Plants in your home or around the outside meter may also die suddenly and without explanation in the presence of a gas leak.
In addition, you may notice certain health symptoms from gas exposure. Natural gas affects how much oxygen is in the air, which leads to symptoms of getting less oxygen. Some signs of natural gas exposure include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Eye irritation
- Throat irritation
- Fatigue
Do I Call My Houston Plumbing Company or the Gas Company?
So, who should you call for a gas leak? For a gas leak in Houston, you should call both 911 and the CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas leak hotline at (713) 360-2185. Gas is highly flammable and can quickly turn into an emergency. The gas company will send someone to test your home for a leak using specialized equipment and will turn off the gas to your home. Once the situation is safe, they will likely tell you to call your Houston residential plumber for repairs.
If you notice you need gas line repairs, but don’t believe you have a leak in your home, then you should call your Houston plumbing company directly to take care of the problem before it turns into an emergency situation like a gas leak. For example, if you notice old or rusting gas pipes, call your plumber.
Services from Your Expert Houston Residential Plumber
At Santhoff Plumbing Company, we are a full-service Houston plumbing company with over 46 years providing the greater Houston area with quality plumbing services. Our experienced and skilled plumbers help you when you need new installation, plumbing maintenance, repairs, or emergency services. We help with gas lines, Houston water heater repair, clogged drains, and so much more. As Houston’s trusted plumbing specialists, we are here to help you no matter what the plumbing problem. Schedule service today or call us at (713) 360-2185 for 24/7 emergency plumbing service. We are here to serve you!