If you have a new home, you will find flexible copper tubing running from the meter to the utility room - this is an indicator that you have a higher pressure gas system. If this is the case, the main shut-off valve is most likely located near the water heater or oven. Houses with natural gas have a main shut-off valve (Fig. A) located just before the gas meter.
This valve, often called a street side valve, is usually a rectangular protrusion (Photo. When the long side of the protrusion or handle is parallel to the incoming gas line, it is open and the gas flows. When it is turned a quarter turn, perpendicular to the incoming pipe, it closes. The pipe inside the house is called a gas supply line or construction line.
The branches go to the individual devices. The bypass line terminates in a downcomer line, which is a vertical pipe that descends to the apparatus from an aerial bypass line. This drop line is called a riser if it carries gas to an appliance from a bypass line below the appliance. The main shut-off valve on the street side needs to be opened and closed with a key, and to tell you the truth, gas companies don't want this valve to operate; they just want it to be used by their own employees, plumbing and heating contractors, and fire department personnel.
Turning the gas back on is likely to require a visit from the gas company, so it should only be done in an emergency. Every time you close the main valve on your gas system, expect to run out of gas for at least an hour or two. Your home will have main gas shutoff valves and individual shutoff valves for the oven, stove, dryer and other gas appliances. When a gas project breaks down, it's not the time to look for the right tool to shut off the gas on the meter.
On older appliance models, the gas company needs to turn on the pilot lights again once the problem has been resolved and gas has been restored to the home. Each gas appliance must have a gas line that goes to it and has a valve located just before the appliance. The pipes upstream of the gas meter and the meter itself are usually the responsibility of the gas company. In these circumstances, the valves can be closed to prevent a gas leak from occurring or to prevent gas from entering the home.
Knowing the location of the main gas shut-off valve will help you quickly shut off the gas supply to your entire facility in an emergency. If the gas service shut-off valve is closed, PG&E or another qualified professional must perform a safety inspection before resetting gas service and turning on the lights of the appliance. Keep in mind that it could mean running out of gas for at least a couple of hours and you'll need a visit from the gas company to turn it back on. It's a good idea to prepare for gas emergencies before they happen, because sometimes projects involving gas lines don't go as planned.
If you have a natural gas line that reaches your home, you need to know where the gas shutoff valves are. Whenever you are worried enough to shut off the gas, leave your home and call the gas company to diagnose the scene and restore the gas before returning home.
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