Underground (Polyethylene) Gas Line.
Is it safe to run a gas line underground? Absolutely! In fact, having the gas line buried has many benefits.
- It minimizes the maintenance required for the typical iron pipe.
- There are less fittings on the gas supply line which minimize points of failure or potential leaks.
- Aesthetics – having an iron pipe gas supply line running along the exterior of your home can be unsightly. Once buried, it will be visible at the entry point and where it exits the ground.
- Dedicated gas supply lines branching off of the gas meter take the added load off all the appliances internal to your home.
Pool heaters, higher output boilers and natural gas generators often require dedicated gas supply lines. This means we have branch off of the gas meter to obtain the required amount of flow to the appliance.
When the trench is opened up, it must be a minimum of 16″ deep. If the gas line is passing under a driveway, the trench must be at least 24″ deep. These are minimum code requirements and in this situation you would want to exceed code to prevent accidental future digging.
When installed, they must be accompanied by a tracer wire or metallic tape, which allows us to perform locates in the future.