Underground Gas Pipes

[Siress]

Yeah... This one has a set of wires going outside to a wall mounted device that allows them to wirelessly monitor usage so it's not a big deal to have the meter inside...but annoying that they weren't up front about the cost.

[Seajay]

That seems a bit odd, since the meter is inside your house I can see how that might be an issue. Normally these meters are outside the house, so it makes for clear indication on ownership/responsibility

[Siress]

I'd call the local utility first. If they say the pipe isn't your problem than the pipe isn't your problem.

I don't fault you for thinking that. My perspective is tainted since, just a few months ago, I paid a few hundred for a service my local utility did under the guise of it being their responsibility. This was started over the phone. My first utility bill included a few hundred for the work they had to perform replacing the main shut-off valve (water) residing between the meter and the supply line, both of which are located in my basement - if it changes the calculus at all.

[Agglet]

This is a question for your home owner's insurance company representative. Ask them what your liability is for the same item. Everyone here is just speculating.

I'd call the local utility first. If they say the pipe isn't your problem than the pipe isn't your problem.

[Siress]

This is a question for your home owner's insurance company representative. Ask them what your liability is for the same item. Everyone here is just speculating.

[Siress]

Seconded - on every point. I'd be shocked if this is not included in a typical home owners insurance policy to begin with.

[jokers]

I was wrong the standards are:
Electrical: Minimum of 24 inches deep.
Gas: Minimum of 24 inches deep.
Water: At least 12 inches deep, but may also be another 12 inches below the frost line.
Cable: 12 inches deep.
Phone: 12 inches deep.
Low-Voltage Landscape Lights: 1 to 3 inches deep.

[DPrekel]

They dig. flags were up. I would love to know how much he paid for the 8 guys from the gas company to fix the line

[maninblack2k]

Never heard of this. It is common from a water aspect if you have city water that your responsibility is the pipe from the street to your house. I could see someone maybe selling insurance on that as that replacement can be expensive.

[jokers]

I may be wrong but isn't there a national standard that says all natural gas pipes need to be something like 7 foot down, sewer 5, electric 3-4, comms 3-4? If that is how far down the pipe is which i know it is in Oregon, then the insurance is ridiculous as the only people who are going to be working on that are NG techs and the the only way it will be hurt is a major event that you might not be there after for.

[lhamilton1807]

They didn’t get the lines located before digging? It’s the law to get lines located and marked before excavation in every place I’ve lived.

[DPrekel]

Check with the gas company on what you are responsible for. We are responsible from the meter in, our gas company gets the rest. We have steel pipe which we know is in good shape thanks to the guys who fixed our sewer line found it with the backhoe.

[Nish]

Thanks guys.
this is the first time we have lived any place with gas lines at all. In VT we had tanks rented from the supplier and they trucked the gas in.

[lhamilton1807]

Really? They own the meter. It’s crazy to ask the customer to insure it.

[Seajay]

Unless there is actual failure it is incredibly rare for gas lines to have problems. What I mean is... there isn't any preventative maintenance that leads to failure. Additional insurance for this is not worth the money. Most Gas issues are at the regulator going into the house, which is the responsibility of the gas company (that you already give money too).