How to Shut Off the Gas to Your House
It sometimes happens that you need to shut off the gas to your house. Whether it’s gas smell or strange pipe noises that indicate a gas leak, everyone should know how to shut off the gas supply. San Diego Plumbing Company, Colepepper Plumbing is here to tell you how to.
Most houses in San Diego are heated on gas, so gas leaks in San Diego are bound to happen. The same goes in case you’re leaving for a long trip, for example. If you’re planning to leave your house empty for quite a while it might be a good idea to shut off the water and gas before you go, so there wouldn’t be any issues or accidents while you’re gone. You should also know how to shut down the gas for different appliances that work on it. However, never attempt shutting off the gas unless it’s absolutely necessary.
If you want to shut down the gas source completely for the entire house, you need to know where the gas isolation valve is. The gas meter and gas service valve can be located either outside, on the side or front of the building or in a cabinet enclosure. If you can’t find it there, try the garage, under the stairs or beneath the kitchen sink for some older houses. Facing the meter, you should see a pipe from the ground to the meter. The shut off valve is usually parallel with the gas pipe – you need to turn it ¼ in either direction until it’s crosswise to the pipe.
For safety reasons, gas fueled appliances also have their own shut off valves. The kitchen stove, for example, is the most common when it comes to gas leaks. If you suspect any gas leaks, look behind the stove – you should be able to see the valve between the wall and stove if you pull it a bit to get access. Make sure you’re not moving the gas pipe when pulling the stove then simply turn it ¼, crosswise to the pipe. Afterwards, make sure you find an affordable plumbing service in San Diego and check the leak.
Gas leaks in San Diego can also come from water heaters – if you smell a leak, look behind the water heater. You should be able to quickly locate the valve and turn it ¼ to make it crosswise to the gas pipe. Make sure you don’t keep any flammable substances or combustibles near the water heater, just to prevent any damage in case of gas leaks. Once again, affordable plumbing in San Diego is easy to find – make sure you call a trustworthy plumber to check any possible leaks.
If you think you’re having gas leaks, don’t hesitate to call a San Diego plumbing company right away to check and fix any issues there might be. In fact, you could call a San Diego plumber just to make a yearly inspection of your gas and water installations, to prevent any accidents or damage. The sooner you have an affordable San Diego plumber check your pipes, the better!
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