Are You Thinking About Tackling A DIY Project With Your Gas Lines?

This is What You Need To Know About How Safe DIY Gas Line Repairs, Replacements or Upgrades Really Are

Are gas lines safe to DIY? There are many things that are plumbing related that we’re all good with our clients trying to DIY. As a matter of fact, we offer videos and advise on several of those plumbing issues. With that being said, there are several things that we don’t feel clients should attempt on their own. Sometimes certain problems with your plumbing require professionals. When it comes to repairing, replacements or upgrades with you gas lines, here’s what we think. 

 Safety 

Few things are more dangerous when it comes to plumbing systems than working with natural gas or propane lines.  A leak or something done out of code can quite literally destroy your property or take a life.  It’s not like fixing a water leak or repairing a running toilet.  There is a lot to know about running natural gas lines and propane lines. These lines are specifically designed to keep your home and family safe.  It may look simple by watching a YouTube video, but frankly, it isn’t. We don’t recommend cutting corners trying to save money  when it comes to gas lines. Cutting corners will potentially end up in either having to pay more to have the work done correctly or pay the ultimate price with a loss of life.

There is the risk to yourself as well when trying to perform gas work without the right training or equipment.  Workman’s compensation is a thing for businesses for a reason. Job site injuries happen all the time, even for experienced crews.   

Experience 

Don’t trust your gas line installations to DIY, a handyman or anyone without experience. Without the proper experience gas lines are not safe to DIY. In fact, there are a lot of licensed plumbing companies that do not do gas work for various reasons. One reason is, not wanting the liability or risk that comes with it. This really ties into the safety topic we covered before.  It takes years of experience and wisdom to know all of the code requirements to run gas lines to keep your home and family safe.  For example it takes different kinds of pipe and fittings for gas systems depending on if the gas line is being run below ground, above ground, outside, and/or inside.  There is a lot to know about gas piping and fittings to ensure the safety and code compliance of the project.   

Tools 

To be completely fair here, to run a gas line takes a lot of specialized equipment, not just experience and licensing.  When I hear clients state “it’s just a gas line” I often have to send them a photo of the $10,000.00 worth of equipment alone that will be sent to their job site to properly cut, thread or press their piping together.  It takes a lot of specialized equipment and investment to run gas lines that are safe and code compliant.  

Permitting 

No one, okay almost no one, wants to go through the hassle of a permit.  Believe me, I know, getting a permit is often more than just a nuisance, it’s a pain in the ass.  Gas work should not be done without a permit no matter how frustrating the experience may be.  We’re often asked to skip the permit process on gas work and we simply will not do it.  Gas lines should always be permitted.  If it can kill you or explode it just makes sense that it should be inspected even when the work is performed by a licensed professional like Robins Plumbing, Inc.  

Services in Phoenix & Beyond

When you’ve found yourself in need of plumbing services in the Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, or Chandler area, you can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with prompt and expert care, contact our team today! In addition to our toilet services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services, including: drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!