Gas Line Repair · Monroe, NC
Gas Line Repair in Monroe, NC: Smell Gas? Leave First, Then Call About the Repair
If you smell gas right now, do not read further. Leave the building, call 911 and call the gas utility from outside. The repair is a separate job for after the house is safe, and this page explains what that job involves, who does what, and the questions worth asking before anyone opens a wall or a trench.
If you smell gas: who to call first
The City of Monroe Energy Services department provides natural gas in and around Monroe, including Wingate, Marshville, Unionville and parts of central Union County. Its published gas emergency number is 704-282-4600, and its guidance is that if the smell of gas is strong, you call 911 immediately.
Not every address in the county is on the City's system. Look at your gas bill. If it comes from another company, such as Piedmont Natural Gas, call the emergency number printed on that bill. The Town of Indian Trail names Piedmont Natural Gas (800-752-7504) as the gas provider there, and says to move to a safe place and call 911 for a gas line break.
- Leave the building.Get everyone out, pets included, and leave the door open behind you if that is quick and safe.
- Do not create a spark.Duke Energy's gas safety guidance says not to use a cellphone, light switch or matches inside. Make the calls from outside, away from the house.
- Call 911 and the gas utility.Give the address and say what you smelled or heard.
- Do not look for the leak yourself.Stay out until the utility says the building is cleared.
- Then call a plumber about the piping.The utility makes the situation safe. A plumber repairs the piping on your side.
What a gas smell can mean
| What you notice | Possible source | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| A strong rotten-egg smell through the house | A leak at an appliance connector, a valve or a joint in the piping | Leave and call, see above |
| A faint smell near one appliance only | A loose connector or a pilot that went out | Still call the utility, since a faint smell can be a small leak |
| A smell outdoors near the meter or the yard | A leak on the supply side or in buried piping | Call the utility, since the meter side is often theirs |
| Hissing near a pipe, or dead patches in the yard over a line | A leak in buried piping | Treat it as a leak and call |
| A smell after a new appliance or a move | A connection that was not tested or has loosened | Stop using the appliance and call |
Duke Energy also points out that smell alone is not a reliable test, because odor can fade as gas travels through soil or be missed by someone with a reduced sense of smell. Bubbling in standing water, blowing dirt and dead plants over a line are other signs it lists.
Whose pipe is it?
As a general rule, the utility looks after its own piping up to the meter, and the piping from the meter into the house and to each appliance belongs to the owner. Ask your gas utility where its responsibility ends at your address, because the City's gas pages do not spell that out and arrangements can differ between properties.
This matters because it decides who you call for the repair. A leak found in the utility's piping is the utility's job. A leak in a line that runs from the meter to your range, dryer, furnace or water heater is a plumbing repair, and that is the work our plumbers do once the utility has made the house safe.
Gas is off and you need the piping repaired? Tell us which appliance lost gas and what the utility found.
Call (833) 571-0120What a gas line repair involves
Finding the leak
The leak is located with a pressure test of the line or a gas detector, never with a flame. A line is tested at a set pressure and watched to see whether it holds. If the gauge falls, there is a leak somewhere between the meter and the appliances, and the plumber narrows it down section by section.
Repairing or replacing the section
A bad connector, a corroded fitting or a damaged length is cut out and replaced. Flexible appliance connectors wear out and are replaced with new ones, not patched. A short repair can be quick, while a long run that is corroded throughout is more sensibly replaced as a whole.
Testing before the gas comes back
After the repair, the line is tested again to confirm it holds, and every appliance is checked for a proper connection. Gas is turned back on only once that test passes, and a pilot is relit by someone qualified to do it.
Burying, rerouting and trenching
A leak in a buried line may mean digging. Before any trench is opened on your property, the plumber should confirm that 811 has been called. NC811 asks for three working days' notice at 811 or 1-800-632-4949, and the service marks public utility lines. It does not mark private lines, which is why a private gas line needs its own locate.
Permits and who may do the work
Union County says a permit is needed for the addition or change in design of plumbing work. Inside the City of Monroe, permits come from the City's Building Standards office at 704-282-4524. Union County says its Building Code Enforcement office, 704-283-3816, issues building permits in all parts of the county except Monroe and Waxhaw. We found no page that says which gas piping changes need a permit, so ask the issuing office.
So ask two questions before work starts: which office issues the permit for your property, and whether the piping change needs a permit and an inspection. A contractor who tells you a permit is never needed, or always needed, is giving you a rule nobody has shown you.
Ask to see license details before work begins. We provide them on request, and any plumber working on your gas piping should be willing to do the same.
Gas appliances and the water heater
Many gas calls come from an appliance, not from a buried pipe. A gas range, dryer, furnace or water heater all connect to the same supply, and each connection is a place for a leak. If you are replacing a gas water heater, the gas connection, the shutoff and the venting are all part of the job, covered on replacing a gas water heater safely.
If you are considering a switch to a tankless unit, the gas supply often needs a closer look. Tankless heaters draw a lot of gas for a short time, so the existing line has to be able to feed them. That question is covered on gas supply for a tankless unit.
Before you hire someone for gas piping
- Has the utility been called?If you smelled gas, the utility and 911 come first. A repair should not start before the utility has cleared the house.
- Who is doing the pressure test?Ask how the line will be tested and that the test is repeated after the repair.
- What will be opened?Ask whether the work involves ceilings, walls or a trench, and who closes them up.
- Is a permit part of the job?Ask who pulls the permit if one is needed.
- Can I see the license details?You should be able to see them before work starts.
Gas line questions from Monroe homeowners
Who do I call for a gas leak in Monroe?
Leave the building, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. The City of Monroe Energy Services department lists 704-282-4600 for a gas emergency. If your gas bill comes from another company, use the number on that bill.
Can I use my phone if I smell gas?
Make the call from outside. Duke Energy's safety guidance says not to use a cellphone, light switch or matches inside the building, because they can cause a spark.
Who repairs a leak in the pipe after the meter?
That piping generally belongs to the owner, and a plumber repairs it. Ask your utility where its responsibility ends at your address, since it can differ between properties.
Does a gas line repair need a permit?
Union County says plumbing additions and changes in design need a permit. Inside Monroe the City's Building Standards office takes applications (704-282-4524), and the County (704-283-3816) handles the rest of the county except Waxhaw. We found no source on which gas piping changes need one, so ask the issuing office.
Gas piping that needs work in Monroe?
Once the utility has made the house safe, tell us which appliance or line is affected and what the utility found.