Emergency Gas Line Installation and Repair in Broomfield: A Gas Smell First, a New Appliance Line Second
If you smell gas, do not read further: leave the building, call 911 and then Xcel Energy at 800-895-2999. A plumber comes after the gas company has cleared the building. This page is for what follows that call, and for planned work such as a new line to a range, dryer, fireplace, grill or generator.
Call after gas is clearedGas line work
(303) 567-7524A gas smell goes to 911 and Xcel first. For a repair or a new line, the dispatcher routes the call to a plumber serving your address.
- Smell gas? Leave and call 911 first.
- Do not flip switches or use a phone inside.
- Have the appliance and its location ready.
A gas smell: leave first, then 911, then Xcel
Natural gas has an added odor so leaks can be noticed, and the response is always the same. Do not try to find the leak yourself.
- Leave at once. Take everyone and any pets, and leave doors open as you go if it is quick to do so.
- Do not create a spark. No light switches, garage door openers, lighters or phone calls from inside.
- Call 911 from outside. Then give Xcel Energy’s gas emergency line a ring on 800-895-2999.
- Stay out until cleared. Wait for the gas company or fire crew to say the building is safe.
- Then call a plumber. Once the line is made safe, a plumber repairs the piping or the appliance connection that leaked.
Not first. A plumber repairs gas piping after the emergency response has made the building safe. Calling the dispatch line first does not replace calling 911 and Xcel.
Signs of a gas leak, and a gas smell with a suspected leak
Natural gas smells like rotten eggs because an odorant is added. Other signs of a gas leak include a hissing sound near a pipe or appliance, dead patches of grass over a buried line, bubbles in standing water and a pilot flame that burns yellow instead of blue. A gas smell or suspected leak is treated as an emergency until the gas company says otherwise. Gas leak repair support after the all-clear is a plumber’s job.
Who owns the gas pipe, and who can work on it?
Xcel Energy owns gas piping from the street to the meter. The owner owns it from the meter to the appliances. Work on the meter side belongs to Xcel; everything after the meter is yours to maintain and hire out.
Colorado’s plumbing rules treat fuel gas piping as plumbing work, and the State Plumbing Board adopts the fuel gas code used to inspect it. That is why a licensed plumbing contractor, not a handyperson, runs gas lines, and why a permit and inspection are part of the job. Ask who pulls the permit and ask to see proof of the plumber’s licensing.
Gas line installation: new lines for a range, dryer, fireplace, grill or generator
A new appliance line is a small project with a few fixed steps. The plumber checks the meter and existing pipe can carry the added load, runs the new line, adds a shutoff and tests it.
| Appliance | Typical scope | Worth asking |
|---|---|---|
| Gas range or cooktop | A line to the kitchen, a shutoff valve and a flexible connector | Is the existing line the right size? |
| Gas dryer | A line to the laundry area with a shutoff and connector | Is the vent route and length acceptable? |
| Fireplace or log set | A line through a wall or floor to a valve | Where will the key valve sit? |
| Outdoor grill or fire feature | A buried or exposed line with a quick connect or a hard-piped stub | How deep is the line, and has a locate been requested? |
| Generator | A larger line sized to the generator’s load | Does the meter supply enough for the whole house? |
| Water heater or furnace change | Re-pipe, resize or add a shutoff | Does the city require a gas pipe plan? |
Broomfield’s Building Division asks for a gas pipe plan when a tank water heater is replaced by a tankless one, and it asks for smoke alarm verification on heater, furnace and air conditioner installs. Ask your plumber whether either applies, and the water heater installers page covers that side. If you use propane, say so on the call; tanks and regulators change the work.
Planning a new gas appliance?
Say what you are adding and where it will sit. A plumber who installs gas lines can confirm the scope and the permit.
Gas line repair: black iron, CSST and what a pressure test shows
Most house gas piping is black iron pipe or flexible stainless tubing known as CSST. Black iron corrodes at joints and where it passes through damp or buried areas. CSST needs correct bonding and is damaged by nails, abrasion or lightning in some conditions, so a plumber checks how it was installed.
Gas line replacement, swapping a corroded or undersized run for new pipe, is treated like a new installation. After a repair or replacement, the line is pressure tested. A plumber fills the line with air to a set pressure and watches the gauge for a drop, or applies a leak-detection solution to joints. A drop means a leak, and the plumber finds it before the line goes back into service.
Cutting into the ground raises another question. Colorado 811 locates public utilities only, not private lines, and the marks take up to three business days. A buried gas line to a grill or a detached building is private, so a private locator may be needed.
Gas lines and sewer work: why Xcel asks for a call first
Before a sewer blockage is cleared, Xcel Energy wants a call to its gas line, because a gas pipe can end up inside a sewer line by mistake. If a cable machine meets it, the pipe can be punctured. This is rare, but the call is quick, and it matters most after trenchless work or in a home where the lines were altered.
For a stubborn sewer clog, see sewer line work and ask whether the gas check has been done.
Gas line questions
Who installs gas lines in Broomfield?
A licensed plumber employed by a registered plumbing contractor, with a permit. Xcel Energy handles piping up to the meter. Ask the plumber for license details and who pulls the permit.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Leave the building, call 911 from outside, then call Xcel Energy at 800-895-2999. Do not switch anything on or off, and do not go back in until you are told it is safe.
Do I call a plumber for a gas leak?
Call 911 and the gas company first. A plumber repairs the piping after the building has been made safe, and the dispatch line can send one once the emergency response is done.
Who can install a gas line for a stove?
A licensed plumber runs the line and shutoff, tests it and arranges any permit. Connecting a range yourself is not a good idea; an uncertain connector or a missing shutoff makes a later leak much more dangerous.
A new gas appliance or a line that needs repair?
Tell the dispatcher the appliance and where it sits. The plumber confirms the work and the permit before anything is cut.
Call (303) 567-7524