Locating Your Home’s Gas Meter
Locating Your Home’s Gas Metre
To find your natural gas meter at your Leichhardt property, begin by checking outside near the perimeter of your home. Gas meters and shutoff valves are typically housed in a grey meter box attached to an exterior wall or situated on a pipe protruding from the ground. They may also be concealed under staircases or nestled against the side of your house where gas pipes are typically run.
Inspect your garage’s walls and ceiling spaces for the meter. Sometimes they are located out of sight up high or even hidden behind storage items. Carefully move items aside when searching the garage in preparation for possible gas supply interruption, to prevent accidents.
Still uncertain about how turn off the gas metre? It may be located inside your home, potentially in the kitchen, laundry room, or basement. Check utility rooms or spaces for the metre mounted on a wall or gas appliance like the hot water heater.
Knowing the location of your gas meter is critical for fast access to shut off the gas supply in emergencies. Take a moment today to identify and familiarise yourself with the metre location on your Leichhardt property.
Identifying the Gas Shutoff Valve
The main gas shut off valve, connected to the main gas pipe, is often positioned securely between meter and your dwelling, near the gas metre outside or within your Leichhardt residence. Trace the supply pipe projecting from your gas metre and follow its path to discover the supply valve.
The shutoff valve, which is typically easy to find and visible, is coloured yellow or red and requires a square key to operate. The valve will have a small handle on top that you can turn your gas off with a quarter-turn so the lever runs perpendicular or across the pipe. This cuts the natural gas supply off through the valve.
Ensure you turn off your gas appliances, akin to ensuring the tap is turned off for water, before engaging the shutoff valve. Avoid attempting to reignite appliance pilot lights yourself; instead, enlist professionals to safely restore the gas supply.
Safety Checks Before Turning Off the Gas
It’s crucial to take safety measures before turning the shutoff valve to stop the gas supply to your home’s appliances. Begin with the appliances in your household - methodically switch off and scrutinise all gas appliances and their pilot mechanisms if fitted. This encompasses every gas-reliant fixture in appliances within your home, from your hot water system to stoves and ovens.
Perform a walkthrough to check for odours that could indicate a gas leak, as gas can accumulate near appliances and connections. Note any hissing sounds or the distinctive rotten egg odour that signals you might smell gas leaking. Should you detect a strong gas smell permeating throughout your home, It’s a gas emergency; evacuate posthaste and switch the gas off meter completely.
Minor gas leaks pinpointed to one site may suggest you need to use your appliance repair skills or seek professional aid. But you can still safely interrupt the main gas your premises are supplied with if the smell is faint. It is critical to communicate with a licensed gas fitter like Leichhardt Plumbing for a leak inspection before restoring gas supply to your premises.
Once all your gas appliances are confirmed off and checked, focus on locating the main gas shutoff valve near your metre to suspend the supply to your abode. Recall to pivot the valve handle a quarter turn orthogonal to the pipe, serving as an appliance shutoff, ending the gas flow prior to calling our experts if concerns arise.
Extinguishing Pilot Lights
Before shutting off gas, it’s crucial to consult your gas company and extinguish all pilot lights within your Leichhardt home. Pilot lights provide the continuous ignition needed to light the burners in your gas appliances.
To locate pilot lights, closely inspect your appliances, including gas stoves, ovens, water heaters, and furnaces. Pilot lights, often nestled near the main burner, may exude small, steady blue flames unlike all other flickers. You’ll find that gas fireplaces often have pilot lights inside, offering warmth more than a simple aesthetic.
To extinguish a pilot light, turn the appliance’s gas control knob to the "off" position. The pilot light should turn off all at once when the gas is fully turned off. Allow 5 minutes for any gas to dissipate before turning off other pilot lights.
With all pilot flames safely extinguished at the appliance, you can now rotate the gas main shutoff valve at your home a quarter turn to turn off your gas supply without risk of a leak or ignition. Make sure to turn on and reignite all pilot lights once gas service resumes.
Turning Off the Main Gas Supply
Once you’ve ensured that all appliances and pilot lights are off, you can proceed to safely turn off the gas at the main valve. Locate the shutoff valve on the pipe near your gas metre outside or inside the home.
To turn off the supply, take hold of the valve’s handle and turn it a quarter-turn clockwise until the handle sits perpendicular or at a right angle to the pipe.
Double check that the valve is fully closed by trying to turn it further - it should now stop rotating. Also do a final check for any faint gas smells nearby before leaving the area, especially if your lpg is in use.
Bear in mind, reconnecting your main gas flow is a task for licensed gas experts – reach out to your gas retailer or our technicians once it’s deemed safe.
Turning Off Individual Appliances
When it comes to specific gas appliances like stoves or BBQ gas cylinders, shut off the gas supply using the individual shutoff valves on those units.
For stoves, ovens, and cooktops, similar to turning off a tap, rotate the control knobs from 'High’ or 'On’ to 'Off’, making sure to also switch off the pilot lights. This stops gas flow to the burners.
Enhance your skill set with the knowledge of when to shut off a BBQ gas cylinder, which involves rotating the top cylinder clockwise. This cuts off gas supply through the hose to your BBQ.
By closing these appliance-specific shutoff valves before shutting off the main gas line, you isolate them from the house supply for added safety.
What To Do After Shutting Off the Gas
After safely shutting off the gas supply to your Leichhardt property, the next vital step is contacting our team at Leichhardt Plumbing.
Refrain from attempting to activate your gas flow post-emergency - gather insights on our website about the importance of a skilled professional’s involvement in turning gas back on. Trying to restore your gas without proper certification risks further leaks, ignitions or even explosions. It simply isn’t worth the risk.
Our fully trained and licensed gas fitters provide guidelines on how to turn off the gas during emergencies on our website, dedicated to residents of Leichhardt. We will come out, thoroughly test your gas connections, gas pipes, and appliances for leaks or issues, then safely restore your gas supply once everything checks out.
During gas shutoff situations at your home or business, rely on our 24/7 emergency plumbing services as Leichhardt’s trusted local experts. We’ll have your gas lines running safely again so you can get hot water, heating and cooking back up and running.
Seeking new installations or scheduled preventative maintenance for your gas system in Leichhardt? Visit our website, where our friendly team of professional plumbers stand by to assist. Protecting our community is our top priority.
Gas Cylinder Safety
Gas cylinders, often used for outdoor BBQs, patio heaters, and other appliances, require special handling to prevent leaks, damage, or accidents.
While attending to portable gas cylinders, scrutinise the top cylinder seals and adjoining elements for any signs of wear or fractures prior to attachment. Listen and smell for any gas leaking from the cylinder valve or appliance fittings. If any gas is detected, ensure there’s no gas flow by turning off the cylinder valve immediately and call Leichhardt Plumbing for assistance.
Position cylinders upright on a flat, stable surface outdoors so the gas can remain secure. Use tie-downs or chains to affix larger cylinders if necessary, and always turn the tap securely to the off position after each use.
Ensure cylinders are secured to prevent tipping, which could damage valves and disrupt connections. Place away from sources of heat, ignition or where falling objects may strike them.
Always turn gas cylinders off at the cylinder valve located at the top after use, not just at the connected appliance. Rotate this valve tap clockwise a quarter-turn until tight to cut off the gas supply through the hose and cylinder.
Regularly check the expiry dates of cylinders and have old ones inspected or refilled as necessary. Storing near corrosive materials or in very hot/cold conditions can also damage cylinders over time.
Careful handling of gas cylinders and ensuring no leaks greatly enhances the safety of your property. Our team at Leichhardt Plumbing can also help maintain and install secure mounts for fixed gas cylinders to keep your family safe.
Professional Inspection For Safe Restoration
After an emergency gas shutoff, it’s crucial not to restore service on your own - always rely on licenced professionals like Leichhardt Plumbing for safe restoration. Our fully certified gas fitters will thoroughly inspect your gas system’s integrity before carefully turning your gas back on.
We check that all appliances, pipe connections and your meter show no signs of leaks or damage. Pilot lights should be relit and tested as needed. Only once our extensive safety checks are complete will we rotate your home’s main gas valve to begin gradually restoring supply and pressure.
Our vigilant procedures engage precision leak detection tools, validated by the department energy, to evaluate risks within any pressurised gas systems. Our aim is to ensure the safety of our Leichardt community, while reinstating the smooth operation of gas in your household amenities.
Leichhardt Plumbing, your trusted local experts, has been providing support for gas supply and drainage needs in the community for over ten years. For new installations or scheduled servicing, visit our website to learn how our skilled team can assist you.
To book a comprehensive inspection and safe reinstatement of your gas supply after an emergency shutdown, email [email protected] or call 1300 349 338. Your safety is our top concern, so never hesitate to get in touch.
