Smell Gas? Leave First, Then Call: Gas Line Repair in Fairfax, VA

If you smell gas, this is the order

A gas smell is not a plumbing call first. It is a safety event that belongs to the gas utility and the fire service, and the plumber comes after the area is safe. Washington Gas gives this sequence:

1. Leave the area, and open doors and windows on the way out if you safely can.
2. Move to a safe place and call 911.
3. Then call the Washington Gas emergency leak line at 844-927-4427 and choose option 1.
4. Do not smoke, light a match or flame, or switch electrical items on or off.

The City of Fairfax lists the same instruction on its page for utility contacts. Wait for the utility to say the building is safe before going back in. Repair work comes later and does not replace any of these steps.

Is this a plumbing job at all?

Three different parties can be involved in a gas problem, and the first decision is figuring out which one you need. Washington Gas owns the meter, whether it is inside or outside the house. The utility's crews handle the meter and the lines on their side of it.

A plumber works on the piping that runs from the meter to your appliances, and on the appliance connections themselves. If you are not sure where the line between the two sits, ask the utility when you call. A plumber who is called first will also ask.

Signs of a gas problem that is not an emergency yet

Not every gas issue arrives as a strong smell. Some signs are faint, and they still call for attention. If you smell gas at all, treat it as the first section describes, and do not wait to see if it fades.

• A faint sulfur or rotten-egg smell near an appliance or along a wall.
• A hissing sound near a gas line or a connection.
• A pilot light that keeps going out, or a flame that burns yellow instead of blue.
• An appliance that has been moved or reconnected recently.
• Dead patches of grass or bubbling in wet ground along a buried line outdoors.

Write down where and when you noticed each one. That helps whoever comes to test the line, and it helps the utility decide how urgent the visit is. If an appliance's venting looks damaged, Washington Gas advises having a gas contractor inspect the equipment right away.

What gas line repair covers once the area is safe

After the utility has made the area safe, a plumber can find and repair the leaking section of piping inside the property. The work usually follows the same sequence.

• Locating the leak, using the utility's findings as a starting point.
• Replacing or repairing the damaged pipe or fitting.
• Pressure testing the line to see whether it holds.
• Having the repair inspected where a permit is required.
• Restoring service, which the utility handles.

Washington Gas says that after service is restored, appliances are relit by its personnel or one of its contractors. Do not relight a pilot yourself after a leak, and ask the plumber who will do it.

Appliance hookups and new gas connections

Many gas calls are not leaks at all. A new range, dryer, fireplace or outdoor grill needs a gas connection, and moving an appliance can mean extending or relocating a gas line. These are planned jobs, so there is time to get them right.

Ask what pipe size the new run needs, how the connection will be tested and whether the appliance's manufacturer requires anything specific. If the new appliance uses more gas than the old one, the plumber should confirm that the existing line can supply it. The same question comes up for gas-fired tankless units, which draw a lot of gas at once.

Outdoor lines for grills, fire pits and generators

Gas does not stop at the wall. A grill, fire pit, pool heater or standby generator may run on a buried or exposed line outside the house. Those lines face weather, soil movement and the occasional shovel, so a leak outside deserves the same caution as one indoors.

New outdoor runs mean digging, and digging in Virginia calls for Virginia811 to be contacted at least three working days beforehand, with weekends and holidays excluded. Ask the plumber who makes that call, and keep the ticket number with your records.

Permits in the City of Fairfax

The City states that a plumbing or gas permit is needed to add, remove or relocate piping, fixtures or water heaters. For water heaters, a natural gas unit needs a gas permit and a plumbing permit. Replacing something in the same place with the same kind of item is exempt, except for shower pans.

Questions about a specific job go to City Code Administration at 703-385-7830. These rules apply to addresses inside the City. For a county address, ask the plumber and the county which rules apply. The question to put to any gas plumber is simple: who pulls the permit, and who schedules the inspection?

Gas leak detection versus water leak detection

Water and gas leaks are found differently, and the people who find them differ too. For a gas smell, the utility checks first with its own equipment. For a water leak, a meter test and listening equipment find the problem, which our page on tracing a hidden water leak describes.

If you are unsure which kind of leak you have, treat a smell as gas and a damp spot as water. Never test for a suspected gas leak with a flame.

What a gas line inspection should leave you with

A planned inspection is not only a yes or no. It should leave you with a written note of what was tested, how, and what was found. If the plumber shuts a valve and leaves a line unused, the note should say which one and why.

Ask for the findings in writing even if everything passed. A clean result is useful later, when an insurer, a buyer or a new appliance installer asks whether the gas piping has been checked.

Questions to ask before gas work starts

• Who pulls the permit, and is an inspection needed?
• How will the line be tested after the repair, and will I see the result?
• Does the quote cover testing, restoring service and relighting appliances?
• If the work turns up other problems, how will I be told before they are fixed?

Keep the invoice, any permit number and the test result in one place. They are useful if you sell the house, change utility accounts or file an insurance claim. For where gas repair fits among other emergencies, see other urgent plumbing problems, and for broader permit questions, answers to common permit questions.