Pittsburgh Commercial Gas Line Repair Explored
What Is a Commercial Gas Line?
A commercial gas line is a gas line that serves a business or other commercial settings.
In general, the commercial gas line tends to be larger in both size and volume of gas that it carries. Also, in terms of local and state coding variances, they tend to be stricter on gas lines in a commercial setting. This versus gas lines that service a single-family home.
The gas that passes through these lines is the same. It all comes from the same source, or sources other than, say, butane or LPG gas.
There may also be requirements for a commercial gas line system that wouldn’t otherwise be found on gas lines serving a residence.
The reason for these differences is that a commercial building, in most instances, is accessed by the public.
So some of the things that are required in a commercial setting are done so for the safety of the public. This versus a private residence that isn’t open to the public, so it doesn’t carry the same requirements for public safety.
Can a Plumber Do a Commercial Gas Line Repair in Pittsburgh?
Gas lines qualify as plumbing, so a plumber can do commercial gas line repair in Pittsburgh.
One common misconception is that a special license or certificate is required to work on gas lines. This is not the truth. A license is required to contract plumbing work, but no special certificate or course work is required.
There is one exception, though, and that is apprentice schooling for union plumbers. But that’s another topic altogether. So if you have a commercial business and you suspect that you may have a gas leak, the person to call is a licensed plumbing contractor in Pittsburgh.
A contractor undergoes rigorous testing to obtain their license. The plumber who arrives to do the work will be there as a representative of the licensed plumbing contractor.
Small on-the-spot jobs generally don’t require a permit. But a more extensive job will require a permit and then undergo an inspection after the job is completed.
How To Tell If a Gas Line Has a Leak?
All gas servicing homes and businesses contain a substance that you can smell.
The best word to describe the smell that gas gives off when it’s released into the air is that of raw garlic. You read that right. Natural gas, propane, and butane are all pretty much odorless.
So if it wasn’t for this additive, a leak could go on indefinitely without anyone smelling it until it was too late. So this is why it contains an additive that gives off the strong smell of raw garlic.
No garlic is used in creating the substance. Instead, it just happens to smell like garlic, which is why it was chosen. It’s a smell that people are familiar with, and while it is offensive, it’s not too obnoxious.
There are for sure worse smells than garlic, but the aroma of garlic was chosen. You can experience the smell of gas by simply turning on a gas stove without igniting it and then giving the gas a good sniff. This is the smell that should alert you if you detect it in or around your home or business.
How Long After a Commercial Gas Line Repair Can the Gas Be Turned On?
The gas in a building, whether it’s a home or a commercial business, can be turned on and used immediately after a repair is done.
There’s no curing or hardening process involved. There are some exceptions, where for instance, a gas line will need to be buried or enclosed in a structure before it can be turned on.
But in general terms, it can be safely said, that if you had a leak in a gas line and a plumber has completed the repair; there should be no reason why it cannot be promptly turned on.
On a similar note, it’s essential to know where the knob used to turn the gas to a building on and off is located.
It’s good to know this beforehand, so in the event of an emergency, you can go directly to the valve and shut the gas off. Most gas leaks turn out to be small, but a sizeable catastrophic leak can occur from a broken pipe.
What About DIY Gas Line Repair In Pittsburgh?
The answer here is that technically you can do your own gas line repair if you are the building owner.
Your local Code Enforcement office generally frowns on it, but it goes on. It’s one thing to do your own picket fencing because picket fences never blow up. This just isn’t the case with gas lines.
So it’s always advisable to hand this type of job over to a professional, but as noted above, if you are the building owner, you can do your own work on it with one noteworthy caveat.
That is that you must get a permit and make yourself familiar with all applicable codes. This is because you can expect close scrutiny from the inspector who shows up to go over your finished work.
Also, keep in mind that if something goes wrong and you burn your building down, don’t expect your insurance company to be happy about it. In other words, they may hold you liable.
Do I Need a Commercial Gas Line Inspection?
The answer here is that if you have never had one yet, then yes, you need a commercial gas line inspection in Pittsburgh.
This is because Pittsburgh is an older city, so there are gas lines buried underground that are also very old. Then it’s difficult, if not impossible, to detect an underground gas leak by giving it the sniff test.
On the other hand, a qualified commercial gas line inspector does have the specialized equipment that is used to detect a gas leak in a pipe that is buried underground.
Then for sure, if you are considering buying a home or commercial building, all gas, water, and sewer lines should be on your inspection list unless you want to take on the risk of buying someone else’s problems.