Customer-owned gas piping from the meter to your appliances

Gas line repair and installation in York, PA

Gas line work covers the piping on your side of the gas meter: the lines that run through the house to the water heater, furnace, range, dryer, fireplace or generator. The gas utility owns and maintains the service line and meter. Everything after the meter belongs to the homeowner, and it's repaired, extended and pressure tested by a plumber.

Water pouring or sewage backing up? Shut the main water valve, then call (717) 297-8733.

Emergency steps

Signs of a gas leak or gas line problem

If you notice any of these, leave the house first and call 911 or your gas utility from outside:

A rotten-egg or sulfur smell (an odorant is added to natural gas and propane so leaks can be smelled)
A hissing or whistling sound near a gas line, meter or appliance
Dead or dying plants in a strip over the buried line outside, or bubbling in standing water over it
A dusty cloud or blowing dirt near a meter or buried line

Signs that need a plumber soon, without an active leak:

A gas appliance that won't stay lit, or burns with a lazy yellow flame
An old, uncoated brass flexible connector behind a range or dryer
A gas line that was capped off when an appliance was removed, and you're not sure it's sealed
Gas pipe that's rusting, especially where it passes through a basement wall or near the floor
CSST tubing you suspect isn't bonded

Who owns the gas line: utility vs. Homeowner

Section	Who owns and maintains it
The gas main under the street	The gas utility
The service line from the main to the meter	The gas utility
The meter and regulator	The gas utility
All piping after the meter, through the house to each appliance	The homeowner
Appliance connectors and shutoff valves	The homeowner

Your gas utility won't repair a leak on your side of the meter. It will shut off gas to the leaking section or the whole house and leave it off until a plumber has repaired and tested the line.

Columbia Gas meter relocations in York, PA

This is the local issue that brings many York homeowners into contact with their own gas piping for the first time. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission requires gas meters and regulators to be located outside and above ground, and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, the natural gas utility for much of the York area, has been moving indoor meters out of basements as it replaces its pipelines. York residents, including people in the city's historic districts, have raised concerns about how the new outdoor meters look on older homes.

What matters for your plumbing:

Your house line has to connect to the new meter location. When a meter moves from the basement to the outside wall, the customer-owned piping inside has to be connected to the new outlet. Ask Columbia Gas exactly what work it handles, what's left to the homeowner, and who pays. PUC rules put the cost on the utility when the move is required for safety.
The whole system is tested before gas is restored. Any time your house piping is opened or extended, it needs a pressure test, and every appliance pilot has to be relit and checked.
It's a good time to look at old piping. If your basement gas pipe is rusted, has old brass connectors, or has abandoned branches capped with questionable fittings, it's simpler to deal with while the system is already being worked on.

Gas line installation for ranges, dryers, water heaters and generators

New gas piping is common for a gas range, dryer, water heater, fireplace, grill, pool heater or standby generator, and when converting an appliance from electric to gas.

Load and sizing check. The plumber adds up the gas demand of every appliance on the system and checks the pipe size and length from the meter. A new appliance can starve the others if the existing pipe is too small.
Check the meter capacity. Adding a large appliance, like a generator or tankless water heater, may need the utility to upgrade the meter.
Route and install the pipe. Black steel pipe or CSST, run and supported to code, with a shutoff valve at the appliance and a sediment trap where required.
Bond CSST to the electrical grounding system, as the manufacturer and code require.
Pressure test the new piping with air before the gas is introduced.
Connect and test the appliance, check every joint for leaks with the gas on, and confirm the burner lights and burns properly.
Inspection, where the municipality requires one.

For any outdoor work that involves digging, such as a line to a grill, pool heater or detached garage, Pennsylvania law requires a call to PA One Call (811) a few business days before excavation so buried utilities can be marked.

How gas line repair works

Confirm the leak location after the utility has made the situation safe, using a gas detector and leak-detection solution on fittings.
Shut off and purge the affected section.
Replace the failed section, fitting, valve or connector. Leaking threaded joints are taken apart and remade, not patched.
Pressure test the repaired system.
Restore gas, relight pilots, and check every appliance on the line.

How much does gas line installation cost?

Gas line installation cost depends mostly on the distance from the meter to the appliance and the pipe size needed to carry the new load, plus permits and any meter upgrade the utility requires.

Distance from the meter or nearest suitable line to the appliance
Pipe size needed to carry the new load without starving other appliances
Material, black steel or CSST, and how the route runs through finished space
Meter upgrades for large new loads, coordinated with the utility
Outdoor trenching for a buried line, plus the PA One Call notice
Permits and inspection
Timing. Emergency repairs outside normal hours cost more

What to do if you smell gas

Any gas smell is an emergency. Leave the house, keep others out, and call 911 or your gas utility from outside.

Don't switch anything on or off, don't light anything, and don't try to find the leak yourself. Call a plumber after the utility has made it safe and told you the leak is on your piping.

A carbon monoxide alarm is also an emergency, and it's different from a gas leak: carbon monoxide has no smell and comes from incomplete combustion at an appliance. Get everyone outside and call 911.

Gas safety after gas line work

Make sure every appliance has an accessible shutoff valve, and that you know where the main shutoff at the meter is.
Replace old uncoated brass flexible connectors, which can crack, with modern coated stainless steel ones.
Keep working carbon monoxide alarms near bedrooms and on each level with gas appliances.
Keep the outdoor meter clear of snow, ice and landscaping so the utility can reach it.

Gas line work is part of the plumbing services we provide in York, PA. New gas lines most often go with a gas water heater replacement, and any gas smell is covered on our emergency plumbing page.

Gas line repair and installation FAQs

Who do I call for a gas leak, the gas company or a plumber?

If you smell gas, the gas utility or 911, from outside the house, every time. The utility will make the situation safe and can shut off the meter. If the leak turns out to be on your piping after the meter, the utility will leave the gas off to that line or appliance until a plumber repairs it, and then the system has to be tested before it's turned back on.

Can I hook up a gas dryer or range myself?

It's better not to. Gas appliance connections need the right connector, a shutoff valve, leak testing with the gas on, and sometimes a line extension or a larger pipe. An improper connection is one of the most common causes of indoor gas leaks.

What is CSST and do I need to worry about it?

CSST is corrugated stainless steel tubing, a flexible gas pipe usually covered in yellow or black plastic. It's widely used, but it must be bonded to the home's electrical grounding system according to the manufacturer's instructions, because lightning can damage unbonded tubing. If you have CSST and aren't sure it's bonded, have it checked.

Do I need a permit for gas line work?

New gas piping and appliance installations generally need a permit and inspection under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, administered by your municipality. Simple repairs may not. The plumber should confirm the requirement for your address.

Columbia Gas is moving my meter outside. What do I need to do?

Columbia Gas usually tells you what's involved in its notice. Ask the utility what work on your side of the meter, if any, is needed to connect the new outdoor meter to your house piping, and who pays for it. If a plumber needs to extend or reconnect your house line, it has to be pressure tested before the gas is restored.

Plumbing Pros

Need a gas line installed or repaired in York?

Call (717) 297-8733 and tell us which appliance it's for. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility first.

Call a York plumber(717) 297-8733

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