Gas Line Repair
Gas line work is one of the few areas of residential plumbing where there’s genuinely no room for a “good enough” fix. A gas leak isn’t a slow drip you can live with for a few weeks — it’s a safety hazard that needs a licensed professional with the right detection equipment, not a guess-and-check approach with a bottle of soapy water and a hope. That’s the standard Action’s techs work to on every gas call across Utah and Arizona, whether it’s tracking down a leak, running a new line to a range, or bringing an older system up to current code.
If You Smell Gas
Natural gas is odorless on its own — the distinctive rotten-egg smell is a compound called mercaptan that utilities add specifically so leaks are detectable by anyone in the house. If you smell it, the sequence matters: don’t flip any light switches, don’t light a match, don’t use your phone inside the house. Get everyone outside, and once you’re safely away from the structure, call your gas utility’s emergency line and then call us. Our techs carry electronic gas detectors that pinpoint leaks far more precisely than the “listen and sniff” method, which matters because a leak at a fitting behind a wall or under a slab isn’t something you’re going to find by smell alone. Once we’ve located it, we isolate the line, make the repair, and pressure-test before we sign off — we don’t consider a gas leak call finished until the line holds pressure clean.
New Gas Line Installation
A lot of our gas line work isn’t leak repair at all — it’s adding capacity. Homeowners in both states call us to run new lines for gas ranges when they’re switching over from electric, for outdoor kitchens and BBQ islands, for fire pits and fire tables on a patio, for pool heaters, and for gas fireplace inserts. Each of these is a distinct job with its own sizing math: the line has to be sized for the BTU demand of the appliance and the length of run from the meter, and running a line that’s undersized for a mid-run tee where you might add another appliance later is exactly the kind of shortcut that causes weak flame problems down the road. We size every new run for both the appliance in front of us and reasonable future load, so you’re not stuck re-piping if you add a fire feature next year.
Black Iron vs. CSST
Two materials dominate residential gas piping today, and which one we use depends on the run. Black iron pipe is the traditional standard — threaded, rigid, extremely durable, and still required or preferred for certain interior runs and appliance connections under many local codes. CSST (corrugated stainless steel tubing) is the newer flexible option that’s become standard for a lot of interior distribution work because it snakes through framing with far fewer joints than rigid pipe, which cuts down on labor and on the number of potential leak points in long runs. Both are code-compliant when installed correctly; the choice usually comes down to the specific run, and CSST installations require proper bonding and grounding to meet code — something we handle as a matter of course, not an upsell.
Permits, Code, and Pressure Testing
Gas work in both Utah and Arizona is subject to local permitting and inspection requirements, and we don’t cut corners on that process because it exists for a real reason — an uninspected gas line is a liability that follows a home through every future sale and every insurance claim. We pull permits where required, and every new line or repair gets pressure-tested before it’s put into service and before any inspector shows up. That test holds the line at a set pressure for a defined period and confirms there’s zero drop — which is the only way to know for certain a joint isn’t leaking, versus just assuming it based on how carefully it was threaded or crimped.
FAQ
Q: I think I smell gas but I’m not sure — should I still call?
A: Yes, always. If there’s any chance you’re smelling gas, treat it as real: get out of the house, avoid switches and open flame, and call your utility’s emergency line, then call us. False alarms cost you a few minutes. Real leaks that go unreported don’t stay small.
Q: Can I install a gas line for a BBQ or fire pit myself?
A: Gas work is licensed trade work in both Utah and Arizona for good reason — improperly sized or connected lines are a fire and explosion risk, and most jurisdictions require a permit and inspection for new gas runs regardless of who does the labor. It’s not a DIY weekend project.
Q: How long does a leak detection and repair call take?
A: It varies with how accessible the line is — a leak at an easily reached fitting can be found and fixed same-day, while a leak under a slab or behind finished walls takes longer to locate and may require some opening up. We’ll give you a clear picture once we’ve got eyes and a detector on the actual line.
Q: Do you offer 24/7 emergency gas line service?
A: Yes. Gas leaks don’t wait for business hours, and neither do we — Action runs 24/7 emergency service across both Utah and Arizona for exactly this kind of call.
Office serving this page: SLC — Gladiola St, Salt Lake City, UT