What Causes Gas Line Leaks?

You don't need to see a damaged gas pipe to have a leak. A fitting can loosen, an underground line can corrode, or a pipe can be damaged while everything around it still looks normal.

Gas line leaks develop indoors and outdoors from aging pipe, failed connections, corrosion, and physical damage. Our gas line plumbing work addresses damaged piping and connections, but if you suspect an active leak, leave the area before arranging repairs.

What Causes Gas Line Leaks

Often the causes of gas line leaks are unseen due to damage piping behind the walls and old piping underground. Things Seattle homeowners should be aware of include:

Corrosion and Rust

Metal gas piping corrodes as moisture and years of exposure wear down the material. Weak areas eventually form along the pipe or around fittings and connections.

Aging Pipes

Older gas lines have been through years of temperature changes, building movement, renovations, and previous repairs. In established Capitol Hill homes, we look at the condition of the piping and connections rather than assuming an older line is still sound because it has not leaked before.

Loose or Damaged Connections

Gas lines rely on properly sealed fittings and connections at appliances and other points throughout the system. A loose fitting or damaged connection allows gas to escape even when the pipe itself is still in good condition.

Physical Damage

Drilling into a wall, remodeling, moving an appliance, or digging near a buried line can damage gas piping. If a gas line gets hit, bent, drilled into, or damaged during digging, stop work and have the line inspected before using it again.

Ground Movement

Buried gas lines move with the soil around them. In Beacon Hill, where gas piping may run underground between the meter and the home, shifting soil can place stress on the pipe and its connections.

Weather Events

Seattle's heavy fall and winter rain saturates the ground around buried utilities. That soil movement puts additional stress on weak sections and connections in aging or damaged gas lines.

Poor Installation or Previous Repairs

Gas piping needs the correct materials, fittings, and connections. In older Wallingford homes that have been remodeled over the years, we sometimes find gas lines that have been extended or altered as appliances and room layouts changed. Those previous connections are part of what we inspect when tracking down a leak.

What Are the Signs of Gas Leaks?

The odor added to natural gas is one of the most recognizable warnings of a leak. If you smell gas, do not stay inside trying to determine where it is coming from.

Other warning signs include:

• Hissing or whistling near gas piping or an appliance
• Dead or discolored vegetation above an underground gas line
• An unexplained increase in gas use
• Gas appliances that stop operating normally
• Bubbles in standing water above or near a buried line
• Visible corrosion, damage, or loose connections on exposed piping

Do not work through this list trying to confirm a leak after you already smell gas or have another strong reason to suspect one. Leave the area and deal with the situation from a safe location.

What to Do If You Suspect a Gas Leak

Leave the property if you suspect a gas leak. Do not light a flame, smoke, operate light switches, use electrical equipment, or do anything else that could create a spark.

Do not try to locate or fix the leak yourself. Once you are a safe distance from the property, contact the appropriate gas utility or emergency service and follow their instructions.

Do not return to the property until emergency personnel or the gas utility tells you it is safe.

How Professionals Find & Repair Gas Line Leaks

Once the property is safe to enter, we inspect the gas piping, fittings, appliance connections, and other likely failure points. We test the system to locate the failed section instead of opening walls or replacing pipe based on a guess.

The repair depends on what we find. A failed fitting may need a new connection, while corroded or damaged pipe may need to be removed and replaced.

After the repair, we test the completed work before the gas system goes back into normal use.

If your gas utility has identified a problem with your gas piping or you need a damaged line repaired, schedule online with Jafco after the immediate safety issue has been addressed.