A few years ago, many people began converting from oil to natural gas to fuel components in their home. A gas line will work with many home appliances, water heaters, ovens and stoves, and in some areas, they will supply the fuel that’s used for heating systems in residential homes.
Natural Gas Drawbacks
Unfortunately, natural gas does have a few drawbacks. While this form of fuel does burn more cleanly than coal or oil, it is a very volatile fuel that can cause explosions or fires if it’s not treated with respect. One challenge that a homeowner may face is if they have a natural gas line that becomes ruptured. This problem has been known to cause fires in many homes. In fact, a person’s homeowner’s insurance premium will be higher if they use natural gas as their primary heat source. While natural gas is less expensive to use than coal or oil, the pros and cons of using it must be examined.
Natural Gas Lines Wear And Tear
In most cases, natural gas lines will work for many years without having any problems. While oil is very viscous and can wear down the interior walls of pipes that distribute it, natural gas is not viscous at all. This is a positive aspect of using natural gas.
Unfortunately, a person can easily rupture one of these lines if they are not paying attention. One of the main causes of ruptured natural gas lines is due to homeowners who dig holes in their yard when landscaping. Unknowingly, they may start digging in an area that contains a natural gas line that’s buried. If that line is whacked with a shovel, it will probably rupture.
Safety Hazard
When a natural gas line is ruptured, it immediately becomes a serious safety hazard. Without being repaired as quickly as possible, it could cause quite a bit of damage if the natural gas inside becomes ignited. If a person realizes that they have ruptured a gas line, the first priority is to turn off the supply of natural gas and call the utility company.
A call should also be made to an individual’s homeowner’s insurance provider so that it can be determined if the repair is covered. In most cases, it’s unlikely that this type of accident would be covered under a homeowner’s standard policy.
A Second Party Damages The Line
In some cases, a natural gas line may be covered if it is ruptured. This type of situation may occur if a contractor is working on a person’s landscaping and accidentally rupture a line. A homeowner’s policy may cover this type of repair. In addition, if a rupture is created by a utility company, it may be covered.
However, most of the time, it’s safe to say that any repairs that need to be completed will come out of the pocketbook of a homeowner.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!