Locating a gas line

Lakee911 · Jul 6, 2009

I have a gas line in my backyard. I had the utility marking service come out and it wasn't where they said it was. I dug a big hole in the area (down to three feet deep) and it wasn't there. It's only 12" below grade where it enters the house. It's a 2" steel (or black iron) pipe.

So, what do I do now?

Thanks,
Jason

Gary Swart · Jul 6, 2009

Call the locating company back. If you blunder ahead and damage the line, guess who will be paying for it. In my area, the gas company does the locating for free.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Lakee911 · Jul 6, 2009

I made many a phone calls today and found out that the call before you dig only marks where utilities are supposed to be.

After call the gas company again, I'm meeting with the lady tomorrow to put a tone device on the steel line (in the basement) and then see what we find.

TedL · Jul 6, 2009

Gary Swart said:
Call the locating company back. If you blunder ahead and damage the line, guess who will be paying for it.

Perhaps things are different on the left coast, but what you wrote is bass-ackwards of how it works in NY.

Here, you call to have them come and mark the utilities, and they're expected to be competent. It you hit and damage it where indicated, you pay. If the expert markers mess up and you dig and hit the utility in an unmarked area (but within the specified work area), it's their fault and their responsibility. As it should be.

And you only have to call before using power equipment, not a hand shovel.

But if you can start them off at the foundation where the gas line enters the building, they should have no trouble following it from there, if they have any clue as to how to do their job.

Lakee911 · Jul 7, 2009

I'm pretty sure that's how it works here, but the proposed work area is still large enough to contain both the marked location and the general area where I think it is. Problem is, I couldn't find it either place.

I wouldn't care if they mark it wrong and I hit it, but with natural gas it could be deadly.

Jason

hj · Jul 7, 2009

location

quote; I made many a phone calls today and found out that the call before you dig only marks where utilities are supposed to be.

Here, we have intelligent marking companies, so they actually TRACE the line from where it is visible back to the main. I guess if you just use a drawing that could be inaccurate, even a Chimpanzee could be a locator.

TedL · Jul 7, 2009

Lakee911 said:
I'm pretty sure that's how it works here, but the proposed work area is still large enough to contain both the marked location and the general area where I think it is. Problem is, I couldn't find it either place.

I wouldn't care if they mark it wrong and I hit it, but with natural gas it could be deadly.

Jason

Did you read the last sentence in my post, the one in bold and underlined?

Get them to follow the line with their sensing equipment.

Lakee911 · Jul 8, 2009

Yes I did read that and that is exactly what they did. First we put the toner on the line in the basement though. It's been found! It gets progressivly deeper as it gets away from the building. It's nearly 5 feet deep at the back of the lot. No wonder they couldn't find it..

Thanks everyone.

Locating a gas line

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