If you smell gas right now
Do not switch anything on or off. Leave the building. Call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
Once you are out and safe, call JK Ranch at (979) 206-0888.
Natural gas line installation and repair
What we run gas to
Gas lines for anything that burns natural gas in a home or out on the place.
- Ranges and cooktops
- Water heaters
- Dryers
- Furnaces
- Fireplaces
- Outdoor kitchens and grills
- Pool heaters
- Generators
- Lines out to a shop or barn
Whether it is one appliance moving into an existing line or a whole new run out to a building, Jacob sizes and routes the line so it carries the load without starving anything else on the system.
New gas lines
A new gas line is sized for the total load it has to carry, not just for the one appliance going on it today. Jacob figures the gas demand of everything on the line, sizes the pipe to carry that load without dropping pressure, and routes it where it will not get damaged and is accessible for service later.
The materials matter. Gas pipe has to be rated for gas service and joined the right way, threaded iron or the listed corrugated stainless gas pipe, depending on the run and the jurisdiction. Every new line gets pressure-tested before it is turned on, and the permit and inspection are handled where one applies.
Repairs and leak checks
A pressure test is the honest way to check a gas line. The line is isolated from the appliances, pressurized with air, and watched. If the pressure holds, the line is sound. If it drops, there is a leak somewhere, and Jacob traces it down to the joint or the section that is letting go.
A gas leak is not a do-it-yourself diagnosis. The smell test tells you something is wrong, but only a pressure test tells you whether the line is safe to use again. If you smell gas, leave the building first and call from outside.
Adding an appliance
The sizing question almost nobody thinks about: a gas line was sized for what was on it when it went in. Adding a tankless water heater or a whole-house generator to an existing system can mean the line no longer carries the whole load.
A tankless heater pulls a large burst of gas at once. A generator can draw more than the rest of the house combined. If the existing line was sized for a tank heater and a stove, adding a big new load on the same pipe drops the pressure to everything on it, and the appliances starve. Jacob figures the total load before the new appliance goes on, and upsizes the line where it needs it. The same thinking applies when replacing a tank water heater with a tankless.
Out on acreage
A long run to a shop, a barn or a second structure is a different job than a line across the house. The longer the run, the more the pipe has to be upsized to keep the pressure up at the far end. A line that is fine at twenty feet can be too small at a hundred.
Jacob sizes the run to the distance and the load, the same way he sizes one for new construction, so the appliance at the end of the run gets full gas pressure and not a trickle.
Permits and inspection
Gas work normally requires a plumbing permit and an inspection inside city limits, and JK Ranch pulls it. The city building department handles the inspection, and the line has to pass the pressure test on the record.
In unincorporated county areas there is often no permit and no inspection at all. Nobody comes to check whether the gas line was sized, joined and tested right. On gas, that matters more than on water. A water leak makes a mess. A gas leak is a danger. That is precisely why the licensed plumber is the check on the work out there, and why the state license matters on gas more than anywhere else.
What we don't do
JK Ranch does not do propane or LP gas work. Natural gas only. If you need propane work, call a propane provider who is set up for it.
Gas line questions
Do I need a permit for a gas line?
Inside city limits, gas work normally requires a plumbing permit and an inspection, and JK Ranch pulls the permit. Out in the unincorporated county there is often no permit and no inspection at all. Either way, the work is done to code and pressure-tested.
Can you add a line for a generator?
Yes, if the existing system can carry the added load. A generator draws a lot of gas at once, and the line in place may be sized for what is already on it. Jacob sizes the line to the total load and tells you straight whether the existing line has to be upsized.
What do I do if I smell gas?
Do not switch anything on or off, do not use a phone inside, leave the building, and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. Once you are out and safe, call JK Ranch. A gas leak is not something to diagnose yourself.
Do you work on propane?
No. JK Ranch does not do propane or LP gas work. Natural gas only. If you need propane work, call a propane provider who is set up for it.
How do you test for leaks?
With a pressure test. The gas line is isolated, pressurized, and watched to see whether the pressure holds. A line that holds pressure is sound. A line that drops pressure has a leak somewhere, and Jacob traces it down from there.
Get on the schedule
(979) 206-0888Call and you get Jacob. Or send a request and he will call you back.
Adding a gas appliance, or got a leak to check?
Call Jacob. He'll size the line, pressure-test it, and tell you straight whether the existing system carries the new load. Natural gas only. Free estimates on any job.
Monday to Saturday, 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Closed Sunday. After-hours and Saturday calls carry a $75 non-refundable service fee.