When you think of common plumbing services, what comes to mind first? Toilets, faucets, sewer lines, maybe even water heaters? To sum it up, a day in the life of a plumber can look a little different each and every day. One day you may be installing a new water softener system, while the next day could include running a camera through a sewer line to reveal where an issue resides. There are simply quite a few elements that fall under the category of “plumbing services.”
Yet another one of these services (that might not be the first thing you think of when you hear the word, “plumber”) relates to gas lines. Without a doubt, gas lines serve a number of different purposes throughout a house or commercial facility and as such, it’s worth it to have a reliable plumber with the necessary experience to work on them. After all, as I’m sure you’re well aware, safety should definitely be emphasized when tackling a gas line project. Throughout this week’s blog post, we’ll discuss a few of the different purposes of gas lines and why you might want to check whether or not your local plumbing company offers gas line services!
Variety of Uses
While some homes rely solely on electricity, there are plenty out there that utilize natural gas. For this reason, as a plumbing company that strives to be a one-stop shop for all things plumbing, we’ve made sure that our plumbers possess the experience needed to complete gas line projects in a safe and effective manner. With that all being said, we wanted to kick off this week’s blog post by discussing a few of the various areas in which gas lines are involved.
Outdoor Living – Even though many of the items that we’ll mention below are necessities, there are also areas where you may want to have a gas line run for more of a “luxury” item. One of these that instantly comes to mind involves outdoor living features. Whether that be an outdoor firepit, fireplace or even a grill, there’s a lot to like about including the gas-powered factor to this equation. For example, let’s look at firepits. Assuming the rest of the project is completed by a qualified professional, a firepit area can be the perfect spot to enjoy those beautiful Kansas City fall evenings, right? Well…when you’re brainstorming ideas for this type of project, you’ll likely find yourself comparing the pros and cons of wood-burning firepits compared to gas-powered firepits. There are obviously unique advantages associated with each and either would be a great addition, but you can’t ignore the ease of use and sense of safety that comes with a gas-powered firepit. Our team has had the opportunity to run gas lines for firepits and it’s always fun to see the finished product once the firepit has been completely installed!
Water Heater – Our next item falls under the “necessity” category. We’ve said it many times before, but the water heater is undoubtedly a plumbing component that you need working on a consistent basis. Furthermore, considering it can be a sizable purchase to have a new one installed, we always encourage homeowners and facility managers to stay on top of the maintenance to ensure they don’t find themselves replacing it earlier than expected. This is true for both storage tank water heaters and tankless options. Along with that, you’ll want to make sure you purchase an adequate water heater in the first place. With water heaters, you’ll likely be purchasing either an electric or gas-powered unit. In terms of gas-powered water heaters, you’ll have no trouble finding options from the reliable brands and at the various common sizes. The key thing to remember here is the importance of hiring a plumber that has experience working with gas-powered water heaters and knows all of the necessary features. While both an electric and gas water heater serve the same general purpose, the inner-workings of each are slightly different. This includes the important flue pipe that only exists with gas heaters. Long story short, this is just another instance where it’s important to ensure your local plumber has the ability to also work with gas-powered water heaters!
Other Uses – While we’ve covered a few instances where you could see a gas-powered feature, the truth is there are plenty others throughout a home or commercial facility. Natural gas could be powering your stove, heating and cooling, indoor fireplace and so on!
Safety First
In terms of home improvement projects or anything tied to improving various features at a commercial facility, safety should always be emphasized! This is true both for DIY projects that you plan on completing yourself, as well as ones that you outsource to a local contractor. When it comes to plumbing projects, this is definitely the case. Not only do you want to ensure the person completing the project is safe while doing the work, but you also want to avoid any potential troublesome situations from arising later on as a result of the work completed. And given that this week’s blog post has been centered around gas line projects, you can’t ignore the importance of safety when completing them! This is why it’s so important to hire a qualified contractor with gas line experience because they should be aware of the different best practices and instantly know what needs to be done to ensure a safe environment going forward.
So…as we wrap up this week’s blog post, one final question I wanted to present was: why is safety so important with gas line work? The easy answer to this question is the fact that gas line leaks can create some dangerous situations. In the plumbing world, any type of leak can cause a financial toll, but a gas line leak is also capable of causing serious danger for any people or animals residing in the house or facility. Trust us, it’s not something you want to mess around with! Not to mention, a gas leak can also be a fire hazard as well. If you ever are concerned that you may have a gas leak in your house or facility, it’s important to take action immediately. First off, you’ll want to leave the house right away and then call your local gas company. It’s also important to understand a few of the signs that often accompany a gas leak. A natural gas smell or even a hissing noise are two that tend to be quite common, but there are also several physical symptoms to watch out for too. Unusual dizziness or lightheadedness are a couple examples. All in all, given the potential dangers that can arise from a gas leak, this should signal to you that it’s worth it to hire a professional with gas line experience when taking on any type of gas-related project!
Gas Line Services in Kansas City
Since gas lines serve quite a few different purposes, we understand how important it is to provide our customers with reliable gas line services. No matter if that’s tied to running a new gas line for an outdoor living area or connecting an existing gas line onto a new water heater, our team has the experience necessary to complete the project successfully the first time! In addition, we have gas line experience in both residential and commercial settings.
If you live in or near the Kansas City area and have any questions about our gas line services at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re welcome to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. We look forward to working with you!