If you’re doing yard work or contemplating landscaping projects, you may be wondering, how deep are gas lines buried in Florida? After all, you don’t want to accidentally hit a gas line and cause an emergency situation in your home or neighborhood.
Gas leaks can be dangerous because gas is colorless and odorless so it can be difficult to identify when you have a leak. You can keep reading to learn more about how deep gas lines are buried, and more importantly, the precautions you should take before attempting to dig in your yard.
Understanding Gas Lines
In Florida, main gas lines are buried approximately 2 feet deep in the ground. The servicing gas lines that branch out from this and lead to your home are usually only buried about 18 inches deep. When you consider landscaping your yard, this may not seem very deep at all, and you may be tempted to dig without taking any precautions.
However, you can never make any assumptions about where the gas lines are located on properties, which is one of the reasons it’s vital you call 811 before you or a contractor takes on a digging project. It’s more than essential: it’s the law.
Putting a shovel anywhere on your property is a risk, no matter how deep you plan to dig. Natural gas lines could be located at almost any spot, and causing a rupture is a dangerous situation. Before you undertake any project on your property requiring excavation, you must have the underground gas lines located and marked off. Don’t assume someone else will do the locating!
Risks of Gas Leaks
If you accidentally hit a gas line while you are digging in your yard, you may not even realize it. It’s easy to think that you just hit a rock or firm piece of ground. And it doesn’t take much to damage a gas line. Even though they are built to be very sturdy, gas lines can still leak when they sustain damage.
You may complete your yard project or landscaping without ever realizing you created a problem. Having an active gas leak in your yard poses fire and health hazards and if you have one, you’ll need to alert the gas company and evacuate your home.
Identifying a Gas Leak
Gas leaks will have some signs that you can identify. Even though gas is naturally odorless, some gas companies do add a sulfur smell to help you identify a leak more easily. You may notice an area in your yard where you can see air bubbling up through a puddle.
Gas leaks can also kill grass in your yard. You may notice a patch of grass that is dead, while the rest of the grass in your yard is perfectly healthy. You may also notice puffs of dirt blowing on the ground. Florida temperatures could easily heat gas enough to create a flame if you have a leak in your yard.
The Bottom Line
We have more than 30 years of experience locating gas lines and detecting gas leaks. All our technicians are certified for this work, and your safety is their top priority. You won’t find more qualified technicians in the area to help with locating gas lines or finding gas leaks.
Contact Affinity Gas Services today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. We’re “The Gas Efficiency Experts.”