GAS LINE LEARNING LIBRARY / SALT LAKE VALLEY
Gas line repairs & getting service restored
Follow the repair from the utility’s shutoff notice through piping work, testing, inspection and appliance restart.
Try the interactive gas-system lessons ↗Gas words, in plain English No trade vocabulary needed.
- Demand / load
- How much gas the equipment needs. An appliance label gives its fuel input in BTU per hour; add the relevant appliances when assessing a shared pipe.
- BTU/h / input rating
- British thermal units per hour: the rate of fuel energy going into an appliance. Heat output is what it delivers after losses, so use the input rating for gas-supply calculations.
- Flow / CFH
- How much gas passes a point over time. CFH means cubic feet per hour. A cubic foot is a volume, like a box one foot on each side.
- Pressure / pressure drop
- Pressure is the push on the gas. A pressure difference moves it along a pipe. The reduction in pressure along the route while gas flows is called pressure drop.
- Capacity
- How much gas a pipe, meter or other part can deliver at the specified pressure. The connected appliances determine how much capacity is needed.
- Branch / upstream / downstream
- A branch takes gas from a shared route to part of the system. Upstream means toward the supply; downstream means in the direction gas travels toward the appliances.
- Meter / regulator
- The meter measures gas use. A regulator controls pressure.
- Shutoff / sediment trap
- A shutoff is a valve that stops supply to a section. A sediment trap is a capped pocket arranged to catch debris before it reaches an appliance’s gas controls.
- Inlet / manifold
- The inlet is where gas enters an appliance. The manifold distributes it to the burners inside. Pressure requirements at these two places can differ.
- Combustion air / venting
- Combustion air is air needed to burn fuel. Venting carries the resulting exhaust away.
- Clearance / access
- Clearance is required space around equipment or piping. Access means being able to reach a part for inspection or service.
- Code / commissioning
- Code means installation rules adopted for the job’s location. Commissioning means checking and starting equipment according to its instructions, then confirming that it operates as required.
A suspected leak
is the first priority.
Stop reading and leave if you suspect an active gas leak. From a safe place, call 911 and Enbridge Gas Utah at 1-800-767-1689. Do not search for the leak, operate gas valves or use anything that could create a flame or spark in the affected area. Follow responders’ instructions about returning.
Read Enbridge’s emergency instructions.
After the emergency response, keep the written utility or inspection notice. It identifies the problem and the work needed before service can return. Leave any utility lock or tag in place for authorized personnel.
From the repair
to getting gas back on.
- Identify the affected equipment. Establish whether the issue concerns utility equipment, customer-owned piping, an appliance or more than one part of the system.
- Define the repair. The responsible contractor assesses the route, access and condition, then explains the proposed work.
- Test the repaired piping. The contractor tests the affected piping for leaks and schedules the inspection required for the repair.
- Arrange service restoration. When the utility has shut off service, send it the required repair and inspection records so it can arrange reconnection.
- Restart the appliances. Coordinate reconnection, relighting and operating checks for the equipment affected by the shutoff.
Utility restoration information: Enbridge natural gas outage guidance.
What does
“pressure testing” establish?
A piping pressure test checks for leaks by pressurizing an isolated section and watching whether it holds that pressure. An operating-pressure check measures the gas reaching an appliance while it runs. Both matter: the piping needs to hold gas, and the supply needs to keep up with the equipment.
The contractor isolates equipment that could be damaged by the test, uses the specified test medium and pressure, and records how long the piping holds. The test record should identify the section covered and the result.
Keep that record with the repair invoice and inspection approval. It tells the next technician what was repaired and tested.
Product-specific testing requirements: Gastite design and installation reference.
What to send
when arranging the repair.
- Share the notice or the exact wording of the issue, once it is safe to do so.
- Explain which appliances are unavailable and whether the utility shut off service.
- Tell us about recent construction, impact, excavation or appliance changes.
- Identify access issues, such as a finished ceiling or a buried patio route.
- Ask who coordinates testing, inspection, utility communication and appliance startup.
Gas leaks
and carbon monoxide alarms.
A gas leak releases unburned fuel. Carbon monoxide, or CO, can form when fuel burns incompletely, and it has no smell. A natural-gas alarm detects methane; a CO alarm detects carbon monoxide. Combination alarms carry markings for both gases.
If a CO alarm sounds, leave and call 911 from outside. Wait for emergency responders to clear the building before returning.
Enbridge explains appliance hazards and the different alarms.
PUT THE INFORMATION TO WORK
Tell us about
your project.
Mountain Man Plumbing is based in Sandy and serves the Salt Lake Valley. Send the appliance model, where it will go and your timing. For a repair after a shutoff, include the utility or inspection notice.