//Quick answer
- Sizing is about total demand on the system, not just the new appliance.
- A leak is found with combustible-gas detection and an isolating pressure test.
- Smell gas: leave, do not touch switches, call the utility from outside.
- Gas line work usually needs a permit; Done-Rite pulls it.
01Definition
How is a gas line sized?
Every gas appliance has a demand. The pipe from the meter has to carry the total demand of everything on the system at once, and each branch has to carry its own appliance over its own length. A new range, dryer, pool heater, fire pit or outdoor kitchen adds to that total. Sizing the branch for the appliance alone, and ignoring what is already on the system, is the mistake DIY runs usually make.
How is a gas leak found and repaired?
Combustible-gas detection along the run finds where gas is escaping; a pressure test that isolates sections confirms which one is holding the leak. That tells the technician exactly what to repair instead of replacing the whole system. The repaired section is pressure tested again before it goes back into service.
02When it applies
When do you need a gas line installed?
A new gas appliance where there is no supply: a range replacing electric, a dryer, a pool or spa heater, a fire pit, a BBQ island or outdoor kitchen. The line has to be sized, run, supported, tested and, usually, permitted and inspected.
When do you need a gas line repaired?
A gas smell, a hissing sound at a fitting, a utility notice, corroded or damaged pipe found during other work, or a pressure test that does not hold. Repairs are also the point where the gas company's requirements have to be handled, which is part of the job.
03What goes wrong
What should you do if you smell gas?
Leave the building. Do not operate light switches, phones or anything that can spark. Call the gas utility's emergency line from outside. The utility handles the immediate hazard and the meter; a plumber repairs the piping afterward.
What goes wrong with unpermitted gas work?
An undersized line starves appliances and can cause burners to misfire. An untested joint leaks slowly. Neither shows up until it does. The permit inspection and pressure test are what stand between those failures and your house, and they are the reason Done-Rite pulls the permit when one is required.
04Proof
- When a job needs a permit, Done-Rite pulls it and schedules the inspection.
- California CSLB C-36 licence #998069. Licensed, bonded and insured, with workers compensation.
- Six plumbers averaging more than 9 years in the trade each, plus a General Manager with 25+ years.
- No trip charge, a 1-hour response time, and 24/7 emergency service.
05Action
Get gas work done by a licensed C-36 contractor
Done-Rite has not published gas line pricing; call for pricing on your run or repair. No trip charge, permit pulled when required.
//Keep going
//Terms used in this guide
Where this applies
Done-Rite runs these calls across Orange County from its shop in Anaheim, CA, with no trip charge in any city it serves.
Common questions
Gas line work usually needs a permit. When a permit is required, Done-Rite pulls it.
Yes: outdoor kitchens, BBQs, fire pits, pool heaters, ranges and dryers. The line has to be sized for the appliance's demand plus everything already on the system.
Done-Rite has not published a gas line price range. Call for pricing.
