Excess Flow Valve - Natural Gas

[Chester11]

My utility is offering to install an excess flow valve at my cost. I'm going to call for details.

Anyone know the cost of something like this, or if they fail? Good or bad idea?

My house is about 50 years old - looking at the gas line coming from the ground to the meter, I'm seeing some corrosion. I lived in an apartment with a gas leak (and a knucklehead landlord) - so the piece of mind would help me sleep at night.

Edit - more info - apparently it is installed at the street, at a cost of between $800-3000.

 

[JTK]

Are you able to reset them yourself should you have a false activation?

 

[Rand]

install at YOUR cost? so the are selling you something.. if its needed they should be paying for it.. its on their part of the gas infrastructure.

 

[jhellwig]

It just shuts off the gas if the line is sheared off. Would be very important in a quake area. Isn't going to stop a small leak that would be common if an appliance failed or something along those lines.

I am guessing the meter is on the side of the house so putting it in the line from the street to the meter is their problem. If something bad enough happens to the line before the meter and regulator to trip it your house is a write off anyways.

 

[Dinoburner]

So many questions, as stated before the utility owns up to and including the meter. Is this a low pressure system or is there a regulator before the meter? In most high pressure systems there is already a an excess flow device. The amount of pressure carried in the system is determinant of what safety protocol will be used. Of greater importance is the comment that there is a leak in the apartment, gas odors should never be tolerated or ignored because a more serious leak could be missed.

 

[Chester11]

So many questions, as stated before the utility owns up to and including the meter. Is this a low pressure system or is there a regulator before the meter? In most high pressure systems there is already a an excess flow device. The amount of pressure carried in the system is determinant of what safety protocol will be used. Of greater importance is the comment that there is a leak in the apartment, gas odors should never be tolerated or ignored because a more serious leak could be missed.

The apartment was years ago and the leak was at the furnace pilot light and barely perceptible (by nose anyway). The gas company redtagged the furnace, it was repaired by a hack and then redtagged again. So, I'm especially cautious around natural gas. (It was a learning experience for me).

Apparently the utility puts the device on new gas lines, but not on existing lines. I sent a request for more information. Everyone is correct, it would not stop a small leak, but only a major break.

Thanks all.