Winter time is coming soon and you’ll want your heating system to be in top shape to keep your home warm. But with the holidays around the corner, you may want to save a few bucks by installing new gas pipes by yourself. After all, how hard can it be?
To make your job as easy as possible, here’s a step-by-step guide for residential gas pipe installation:
Step one: don’t do it.
Seriously, though. Not only is gas pipe installation tricky, but changing one on your own violates Alabama state law.
Section 7.1 in the Huntsville Utilities “Gas Meter and Service Guidelines,” states that “Any work involving the plumbing or piping of natural gas fuel lines (anything downstream from the gas meter) must be performed by someone certified by the State of Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board. This is required by state law.”
Doing so on your own accord is dangerous for both yourself, and your home. Here are a number of reasons why you should never perform one of these jobs on your own.
- You don’t know the codes. The city of Huntsville, or virtually anywhere that your project is taking place, has specific codes that need to be complied with in order to be considered up to par. As someone who has not received a certification, you are not as well-versed in gas piping requirements as a professional.
- The time frame will be longer. Regardless of how handy you may be, on your own you are no match for the installation team that a certified contractor will dispatch to you. Especially concerning gas, you never want to overextend the project time.
- There are far too many risks involved, whether is a brand new install, repairs, or repipping. Working with gas is especially dangerous and requires the utmost caution. Relying on sight and smell alone is not enough to detect potentially destructive — even fatal — fuel gas leaks. Professional gas pipe fitters have extra equipment and sensors to make sure that the job is going as smoothly and safely as possible, with minimal risk.
If you need to repair, install, modify, or extend your gas appliance or gas pipe installation, you should one of any 301,123 trained heating and air conditioning contractors in the U.S. today. In Huntsville, however, your best option is Thomas Service Company. We’re experts on Alabama state laws and Huntsville pipe codes, so you’ll be safe in our hands.