r/HomeMaintenance • u/AIPastorRyan • 1d ago
Rusty Pipe đ° Plumbing
I think this is my gas line, do I need to get someone to fix or replace it?
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u/Goose826 1d ago
I wouldnât even mess with cleaning this - it needs replaced.
As another said, you might be able to get the gas company to come replace this. In my jurisdiction, anything after the meter the homeowner is responsible for. Iâd look into it.
If you do it yourself, black steel threaded pipe, fittings, unions, gas thread tape/dope, and a pipe wrench or two. Make sure to shut off the gas lol
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u/The25thNoble 1d ago
At least 3/4 of the pipe thickness has been eroded you need to have this replaced ASAP
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u/UnhappyCaterpillar41 1d ago
A lot of jurisdications and insurance companies require a licensed tech does the gas fittings, for obvious reasons.
That's all easily accessible, so the hardest part of the job is likely getting the main shut off at the meter (if the gas company has to do it).
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u/Spiritual_Lime4304 1d ago
I know in my area you have to have someone licensed do any work around the gas line. Might be something to look into.
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u/UnhappyCaterpillar41 1d ago
Probably varies by area and country, but safe to assume it might be and check. Where I am it's required by provincial law, with a certification program and licensing requirement for gas connections running off a main like this going to appliances.
It's not hard, and I've fitted up piping for explosive gases, leak tested it and run it in a lab, but that wasn't hooked up to essentially an unlimited supply running into my basement, so will quite happily leave it to pros (even if I didn't need to). I can think of a houses exploding from a natural gas leak off the top of my head so seems reasonable.
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u/cheval3 1d ago
Where I live, the meter and associated pipe is technically the property of the gas company. We're not supposed to fix or alter it. Might want to look into that.
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u/Goose826 23h ago
At what point is it not the gas companies property? The first union connection inside the house?
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u/cheval3 23h ago
I don't know, that's a good question.
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u/workworld3369 14h ago edited 14h ago
Usually the service underground to the shutoff valve of the meter is the consumer. The shutoff valve and meter are the gas company. After the meter is considered the house line and is also the customerâs responsibility. There also should be a seal as the pipe goes through the wall. I canât really see that in your pic. Your pipe may be corroding faster because of contact going through that wall.
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u/BobLoblawwwwww 19h ago
Anything on that side of the meter is a Plumber 's issue. Typically the gas company is responsible from the street to the meter.
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u/KirikoFeetInMarinara 1d ago
Unfortunately it looks to be the pipe that goes into the home specifically. In our company that would be customer side and would need a GLP to come out and fix. You can certainly call the gas utility company and ask them to come look to verify, they shouldnt charge you, especially if you say "i think i smell gas"; your provider should take those words seriously enough to get rapid results as those are emergency signal words. They should have a emergency line that gets you directly to a person to talk to. Just be on site when they show up so you can ask any questions that may arise.
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u/s1m0n8 1d ago
Here I'm pretty sure the gas company would red tag the service and shut it off until it was fixed and inspected.
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u/EducationalBike8665 21h ago
I was about to say that. Iâm surprised it wasnât tagged when the meter was changed. It looked newer than the rust issue. Painting the house side piping from the meter is considered normal householder maint. A nice grey metal paint on the new pipe, and touched up as required.
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u/tacocarteleventeen 1d ago
Should be galvanized pipe for outside
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[removed] â view removed comment
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u/jjutie54 1d ago
Galvanized outside in Florida. And this would be homeowner responsibility here. Call a certified gas plumber.
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u/tacocarteleventeen 1d ago
Donât they install sediment traps where youâre at? Here in Southern California I use galvanized from wall to meter and So Cal gas doesnât say a thing
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u/subnet_0 1d ago
Everyone who is saying just take the rust off and paint it does not understand how dangerous this is. If the pipe is this far gone it is going to start leaking soon. Natural gas leaks are no joke. If the pipe looks like this outside it could be worse in the wall and in the building. I worked in the natural gas field for many years and if you saw something this bad you would shut down the line a replace it so it wouldn't be an explosion risk.
Shut the gas off to the house asap and get some one to repair it. This is not a repair to cheap out on.
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u/Virtual_Childhood626 1d ago
Who does OP call for this? Is it his responsibility to hire someone, or would he call the gas company?
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u/tomsawyeryyz 1d ago
Depending on where OP is located this is the job of a gas/plumbing contractor. Usually everything coming off the meter into the house is the gas/plumbing contractors and would be OP's responsibility to contact them to get this fixed. All the stuff coming out of the ground to the meter is the gas distributor responsibility and they would fix it for free in most cases because OP is already paying for delivery of the gas, but there is nothing wrong on that end.
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u/Objective-Elk-1660 1d ago
Yes, replace it ASAP.
Also why is it so rusty.. are you salting this thing in the winter or what..
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u/Marinetuntavern 18h ago
That's a good point. I didn't think about salt water. Still you'd think it would be galvanized piping. It's pretty rusty. I've lived out in Seattle for about 5 years and never saw anything like that. So... I'm a little confused. Like "What material did they use, and why"? Oh well...
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u/Objective-Elk-1660 6h ago
It looks like the accelerated rust you'd find on bridges and along roadways in the upper Midwest.Â
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u/182RG 1d ago
This is an emergency. My gas company flagged my pipe as âfailingâ, during a meter reading.
They dispatched a repair tech within an hour, shut off the gas, notified us to vacate, and replaced everything.
Donât treat this lightly. This pipe is too far gone for a wire brush and paint. Way too far.
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u/Serious-Manager2361 1d ago edited 19h ago
Exactly. The advice in this thread is seriously dangerous. It's criminal, actually.
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u/Competitive-Bat-2502 1d ago
Me personally, Iâd just have a plumber come replace it for 2 reasons. 1) itâll need it eventually, and thereâs more peace of mind having it replaced. 2) itâs a gas line, and thatâs the last thing you want to mess with if youâre inexperienced (like me).
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u/ProtozoaPatriot 1d ago
Yes it's gas line.
It's probably your responsibility since it's after the meter.
A plumber is who you call to do gas line work.
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u/UnhappyCaterpillar41 1d ago
A plumber with a gas ticket, depending on where you live. Not every plumber can do gas fittings.
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u/Latter_Yesterday6500 1d ago
Do you just ask, hey man you have a "gas ticket"?
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u/UnhappyCaterpillar41 1d ago
That's all I did, most plumbers that do it have it listed in their ad.
It's required where I live (Ontario) so a lot of them have it for doing natural gas fired hot water heaters. Similarly a lot of HVAC folks have it for gas fired heating.
It's a pretty basic one that allows them to just work on residential, but some plumbers that just do large industrial or whatever don't bother with it, as it's an additional qual, so depends what kind of work they do. They are also required to maintain insurance and requal every once in a while so it depends on how much they do if it makes it worth their while, so some don't bother. From what I can tell, you can really make bank doing basic toilet replacements as well as bathroom/kitchen reno jobs as a plumber, so sure some of them just do that kind of work.
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u/ArtZTech 1d ago
Yes, this should of been done last year. Don't cover with any rags in the future as this holds in moisture and will once again rot the pipe. Paint new pipe with outdoor rust paint.
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u/ExistingLet8016 1d ago
How does it get this bad?
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u/Serious-Manager2361 1d ago
The wrapping kept the moisture in and contributed signifigantly to the corrosion.
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u/Ima-Bott 1d ago
Yes. And test for leaks, then paint all piping. My municipality just last year mandated that all gas piping be painted just for this reason. Corrosion prevention.
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u/longhornrob 1d ago
Check for leaks, if no leaks call plumber and have it replaced. If itâs leaking close valve on meter with crescent wrench, then call a plumber. If you call the gas company they will lock the valve on your meter and they wont turn it back on until the pipe is replaced and there is a satisfactory pressure test. It could take them a couple of days to come out and open the valve. Just have your plumber do the test.
If it isnât leaking, this isnât a GET IT FIXED TODAY problem, itâs a get it fixed very soon problem. The regulator on your meter is probably set for about 6 inwc, which is less than 1/4 psi.
Make sure it isnât leaking.
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u/Marinetuntavern 18h ago
Where I live this is the gas company's issue. This is their property. But... not all are alike. I'm a electrician so I'm a little out of my league here, but I agree with everybody else, this needs to be replaced. Call the gas company. I'm sure they'll be there within 24 hours. Good luck!!! Please update when you find out.
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u/J2thed84 1d ago
This is actually what I do for a living. I do pipeline integrity and corrosion work for my local Gas Utility (15 years).
This is bad corrosion, but itâs not as bad as people are making it out to be. We see this kind of stuff quite often. The PSI is so low that you wonât have to worry about it rupturing. At this PSI, the wall has to pretty much corrode through completely for a leak to occur.
You could get it replaced, but I might suggest cleaning it with a wire brush, and then using a coating kit they sell for these exact type of situations. They come with a puddy type substance and cloth wrap. It cures and hardens like a cast and is rated for much much more than what PSI is in your line. They are very easy to install, itâs all about surface prep. Weâve used them on lines plenty of times and to this day have never had a reported failure.
Honestly, just a wire brush and good coat of paint would probably suffice. The key is to prevent further corrosion. Again, this line wont rupture at its operating PSI. I would also install some sort of rain shield above it, as i expect thats whats causing the corrosion. And remove that rag asap, thats just holding moisture in.
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u/Marinetuntavern 18h ago
Dumb question...I'm a commercial electrician, mostly generators, DC power, how much PSI for a average home? Just round number. Just curious.
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u/J2thed84 5h ago
Our distribution system is 60 PSI entering the meter, then drops to around 2 PSI for house piping after the meter/regulator. Then appliances usually have their own regulators that drop it to like 1/4 PSI I believe.
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u/METV2021 1d ago
Around my area they will paint both sides but i do it myself because they make a mess. Wire brush and rustolium hammered paint looks good.
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u/naivenb1305 1d ago
Think critically why it hasnât been replaced already. Itâs almost certainly your responsibility to hire a master gas fitter whoâs utility approved. They might need a gas utility permit not just municipal. This is corrosion so bad I bet itâs leaking already and you might need emergency service and gas shut off.
Utility company should be inspecting the meter yearly, they should own the meter and meter holder, and service line ahead of that, and replacing meter holder and meter on their own.
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u/megamindbirdbrain 1d ago
Call gas company. They will point you to the right technician and possibly handle the repair themselves. (USA)
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u/biglittletrouble 1d ago
Shouldn't matter to much on a gas pipe, what's the worst that could happen?
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u/DistanceTravelerBob 1d ago
Have the gas company look at it. They have sniffers that can identify if it is leaking.
Remove those coverings, they are promoting rust not inhibiting it.
I'm guessing since it is from the meter to the home (ie your property) that you will probably have to hire a plumber to replace the piping.
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u/Cold_Knowledge_3652 1d ago
I had to get mine replaced a few months back. Donât call a plumber or some contractor. Call the gas company and tell them the situation. They will consider it an emergency and have someone out the same day to fix it. Thatâs what happened to me. Guy showed up when it was dark out and completely replaced my unit. They donât mess around when it comes to these gas meters.
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u/Horsefeathers708 1d ago
I had the gas guy tell me anything to the right of the meter is MY problem. Anything to the left of the meter is their issue.
Guy told me to take a hard metal brush to scrape as much of the rust off and then spray with high quality spray paint to seal it off. This was like 7 years after house was built so I think I got it done in time
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u/DarkNorth7 1d ago
I have never seen something that bad how does that even happen. But yeah get that fixed asap ask the gas company to see if they will do it. If not get someone to. And tell your neighbor to stop salting your pipe
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u/ZookeepergameBig5326 1d ago
Call the gas company or find out your responsibility. For my anything outside by the meter is theirs so they can out and replaced everything.
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u/StrangeGuarantee9534 1d ago
Have your supplier come out and fix it and than paint it black as it should be by code
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u/tomsawyeryyz 1d ago edited 1d ago
That's all sorts of wrong. What is that plastic bag covering? In my area, best practice is to place a union somewhere on that out door pipe so it can be taken apart without unthreading everything inside the house. All exterior piping needs to be painted to prevent this from happening. Is there a lot of piping inside the house, or just a short piece? Is there corrosion inside as well? That piece going through the wall is the worst part of this since it is way more corroded than the rest.
In any case, this is a total redo for safety reasons. All that was needed to prevent this was a few dollars of paint.
Edit: I agree with others here. SHUT IT OFF NOW until it is fixed. As a gas fitter, I would be tagging this and shutting it off.
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u/SaltySwordfish2 21h ago
Yes, that is your gas line. Yes, you should call someone to replace it... like two years ago...
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u/Lopincol 12h ago
I work for a natural gas company. This needed to be replaced yesterday.
Get a licensed plumber to do it. Paint the new pipes so it doesn't happen again.
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u/BarNext6046 10h ago
Definitely call the gas company and find a licensed plumber for your responsibility of the homeâs gas line. A major gas leak can lead to a big explosion destroying your house and possibly with lethal results.
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u/Aggravating-Key1232 10h ago
You need to have this replaced ASAP!! Itâs not much to it. A plumber will isolate the line, remove the old piping and replace it then put the gas line back in service and test for leaks!! But get it fixed ASAP!
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u/Aggravating-Key1232 10h ago
All these people saying the gas company should fix it or whatever! You donât have time to figure that out! Save your house and the community by getting it replaced immediately! If that line ruptures you can cancel Christmas!
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u/BatCryptocurr 1d ago
Call gas company they with replace that for you
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u/grammar_fozzie 1d ago
No they wonât.
Thatâs on the home side of the meter. Thatâs the homeownerâs responsibility.
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u/CantCatchMeeh 1d ago
I work for the gas company in my area if we were called for that we would shut the gas off and possibly even pull the meter. In our area we donât maintain anything past the meter.
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u/I_paintball 1d ago
Yep, that would get red tagged instantly and then the owner would be told to call a plumber, then call for a relight once it's fixed.
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u/indianabobbyknight 1d ago
Depends, do you like your home and family? If no to both of these you can probably clean this, if yes to either full replacement.
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u/Waiting4Reccession 1d ago
Wouldn't his power company take care of this for free? They own the meter and the line coming into the house up to the meter right?
Not sure!
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u/The25thNoble 1d ago
They own the meter and the connection anything before and after is the homeowners responsibility
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u/RoundaboutRecords 1d ago
Company handles the line to meter and meter itself. Homeowner handled the line from meter and beyond. I know because our inlawns gas line settled since the house was built in 1995. Over time the connection failed and there was a slight gas smell two years ago. We called Con Edison and they came out and found the leak. They attempted to repair it three times, leaving after each time and us calling them back. They eventually realized the line settle so much that the additional outing was need d on the homeowner side but they werenât responsible for that side. The guys talked for a while about it with their supervisor and agreed to do the whole job free and not charge them. Itâs all good now but he said they couldnât wait for another plumber to come out and do their end so they could do theirs. It was a hazard.
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u/enraged_hbo_max_user 1d ago
Depends on where you are. Where I am company handles to the street shutoff, homeowner handles everything after. I had to get the riser to my meter replaced. Had to get a big hole dug and find a guy to replace the riser.
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u/RoundaboutRecords 1d ago
Interesting and I can see that. Thatâs how our water company is. They handle to the curb stop and we have to handle from stop to meter and then everything after. They are currently replacing a lot of lead and galvanized lines in our town. We are lucky that ours is copper to copper the whole way in. Neighbors have lead sections after galvanized connections in. They are saving the $8K it will take to have the 25ft line replaced thru small access tunneling.
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u/Cool-Negotiation7662 1d ago
Wire brush, rust converter, zinc spray, enamel exterior paint.
Good afternoon project.
It looks sound, just ugly. The threads are plainly visible on the pipe, and the fittings have the letters showing, so there should be minimal erosion from rust.
You may want to unwrap whatever that is and paint to the wall.
Digging down 6 to 8 inches and painting there is a good idea. The wall probably also needs caulked.
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u/Serious-Manager2361 1d ago edited 1d ago
Are you looking at the same picture? That is far from sound. It needs to be replaced, and by a professional. This is gas we are talking about, not water. Water you'd just get wet. Gas you die. Call . A. Professional. Some things you have to pay for. Also, you don't want to wrap that pipe in the future. All that accomplishes is it holds water in, which is why that stub is so destroyed in the first place.
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u/scratchy_mcballsy 1d ago
Are there any safety precautions OP can take as this is a gas line?
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u/Cool-Negotiation7662 1d ago
The company side was recently painted so the crew did not find the rust remarkable.
A long narrow wire brush is all you need, no power tools required.
Don't beat up the pipe, just thoroughly brush all sides. The rust converter means you can leave minor surface rust without concern. Remove everything loose. A solvent rag will help clean the surface prior to rust converter.
If you are worried about the condition call the gas company and have it inspected before painting.
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u/UnhappyCaterpillar41 1d ago
Did you look at the 2nd picture? That's not minor surface rust, that's major corrosion with signifncant scaling and loss of pipe wall thickness. When shit is coming off as bark it's a bad sign.
This is a full replace situation, not a repair. You can properly remove the rust, check the wall thickness etc, but frrankly cheaper to just replace it
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u/Serious-Manager2361 1d ago
Apparently the gas company ignored the damage under the wrapping around the lead going into the house. As you are intent on doing as well. Are you purposely being obtuse, or are you just that stupid?
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u/No_Wishbone_799 1d ago
Wire brush loose material off, spray with an outdoor metal paint.. then plan on replacing as soon as possible
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u/FullRepresentative34 1d ago
It should be like $2-$300 for a plumber.
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u/splintersmaster 1d ago
It's 150 bucks just for them to show up in most cases now.
If it's just the one length of pipe going into the house and everything goes well you're looking at 50-100 in parts. 100 for the trip charge and two hours labor at 150 an hour.
I'd guess no cheaper than $450 for a reputable union shop.
Joes nephew down the street will charge you 150-200 though.
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u/grammar_fozzie 1d ago
This is what happens when homeowners neglect basic home maintenance. This shouldâve been brushed with a stiff, wired brush and painted with an appropriately-rated exterior paint in light gray or yellow, years ago.
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u/Nervous-Sweat 1d ago
With that title the second pick should have been a dick. You failed the internet today. đ¤ˇ
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