The world has been rocked by a number of significant seismic events in the past five years, which have only increased public awareness of the need for protective services like earthquake valves. These special pieces of equipment are specifically designed to react to major seismic events in major earthquake zones and prevent the kind of devastating damage that comes not from the earthquake itself, but from the broken pipes, damaged service lines, and leaking gas that often occurs in the immediate wake of a major seismic event.
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Utility companies in active earthquake zones recommend that their customers shut off their gas immediately after the shaking from an earthquake stops. This can be quite a challenge for many people, however, as they may be at work or unable to actually get to their gas meter from where they are currently located in their home. Additionally, damage may prevent them from actually accessing the gas meter to turn off gas service. A gas shut off valve takes care of this automatically.
Earthquake gas valves are installed on the gas meter of a home or business. When it detects the kind of major shaking that accompanies a significant earthquake, it will automatically cut off gas service to the home or a business. These valves should be installed on every active gas meter which serves a home or business, and should typically be done by a well-qualified Ritz Plumbing contractor who will ensure their proper installation and function.
Our skilled contractors will also be able to decide between the two types of natural gas valves that are currently employed in most home and business gas meter setups. While one of these quake valves employs a simple motion-sensing ball, the other employs a sensor which can detect an excessive flow of gas (often caused by a line break) and respond by shutting of all gas services.
A motion sensing caged ball is the most typical type of seismic shut off valve installed in most homes. Its function is rather simple: the ball sits on a small ring above an opening in the pipe. On a normal day, the ball doesn’t move and the gas line remains active. If significant shaking occurs, however, the movement of the pipe will cause the ball to fall off the ring and into the opening — thus restricting the flow of natural or liquid gas into the home and preventing a fire or explosion.
A slightly more sophisticated method involves using a sensor to determine the gas flow through a pipe. These sensors are equipped with data on just how much gas is appropriate for the location they’re serving — from a small home to a large business. If gas begins to flow at an accelerated rate, they assume a break or leak has occurred and gas service is immediately shut off. These setups do have one flaw however: they often fail to detect very small leaks, which are equally common after earthquakes, and equally lethal once enough gas has leaked into the structure.
The differences between these two types of quake valve installations, and what they mean for your building, is why it’s always important to contact a qualified Ritz Plumbing contractor to help you make the decision and perform a sound installation.
Why You Need Earthquake Valves at Your Home or Business
Mandated by law: As of 2002, California law and building codes state that constituents must install an earthquake valve at their home or business on all applicable gas meters on any building that they own. This is to ensure the wider safety of a population living in an area with a history of earthquakes, as well as to decrease the amount of potential damage and costs to the government itself as well as its citizens.
Mandated by insurance providers: Insurance companies which cover earthquake damage have begun mandating that their customers install earthquake valves on every meter under their control in an effort to reduce the risk of damage after a major seismic event. Natural gas valves will often have to be installed as a condition of being granted the insurance policy — and if an insured building is found to be without them, it is often deemed to be within breach of the policy and ineligible for reimbursement based on earthquake damage.
Mandated by gas companies: Many gas companies in seismic zones will require homeowners and home builders to install these valves from day one, in order to maintain the integrity of their own gas lines and services to consumers in the event of an earthquake.
Increased safety in the home: A gas shut off valve ensures that your home will be protected even if you can’t directly access the gas meter after an earthquake has occurred. It’s important to remember that the damage from an earthquake can be unpredictable, and it simply may be impossible to reach the gas meter to shut it off manually. This could result in increased gas flow and fires or explosions while you and your loved ones are in the home. It could also endanger neighbors who will be in the direct path of a gas fire or explosion.
Safety while at work: Earthquakes don’t wait for you to be at home, and you may find yourself in the office during an earthquake. Because you’ll be, by definition, unable to turn off any gas service to your home, having earthquake gas valves installed will give you the peace of mind that your home has not caught on fire, exploded, or put any of your loved ones or neighbors in immediate danger.
If you need an earthquake valve installation in your home or business please don’t hesistate, call us!
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August 2020
A customer wanted to know if we would install an earthquake valve on her property because her insurance company told her she was unable to open her new business without one.
Our technician met with the customer, and she decided that a motion sensing caging ball that falls into the pipe to block the flow of gas in the event of seismic activity would fit her needs.
The technician shut off the gas, placed the valve on the houseline and made sure the fittings were firmly connected before he restored gas to the building.
2/27/2019
A customer called us to find out if we provided earthquake valve installation services. She said she had recently switched insurance companies and her new provider is requesting that all homes be installed with a current earthquake valve.
We met the customer at her home and discussed the different earthquake valves from which she could choose – a natural gas seismic shut-off valve and an excess flow valve. The customer decided on a motion sensing caging ball that consisted of a ball on top of a ring nestled on a pipe. We explained that in cases of earthquakes of seismic activities, the ball will roll off the ring and clog the pipe, thus preventing gas flow.
We arranged for gas service to be cut off before we began installation to ensure that the project would be completed safely. Our technician placed the valve on the houseline and installed fittings as required, up to an including the last tee connecting the houseline. When the technician finished, he called to restore gas service to the home. The customer thanked us for our promptness and was appreciative of the extent to which we explained her options.
11/12/2019
Located near Martha Baldwin Elementary School, a homeowner called us to inquire as to whether we were trained to install earthquake valves for insurance purposes. We informed him that we had several trained technicians ready and available to install the valves.
After meeting the homeowner at his residence, the technician found that excess flow valves had previously been installed on the property. However, the insurance company only covered residences with motion-sensing caged balls, so the technician needed to change out the valves.
After ensuring the gas lines were turned off, the technician removed the original excess flow valve. He was able to successfully install the motion-sensing caged ball that would let a ball fall into the gas pipe to prevent the flow of gas should an earthquake occur. The trained technician made sure that the new valve was installed close to the building to reduce the risk of malfunctions. He restored gas service to the property, and the homeowner thanked him before the technician left.
09/20/2019
A homeowner contacted us after his insurance company informed him that his newly-purchased home must be equipped with an earthquake valve for security purposes.
The homeowner had just moved to the area and was unfamiliar with the devices. He did not know how to go about installing an earthquake valve and did not understand the difference in the available valves.
Our technician explained that the homeowner could choose between an excess flow valve and a motion-sensing caged ball. The technician informed the homeowner that the excess flow sensor may not operate if a smaller leak is present as it only closes when the flow exceeds a certain amount. Instead, the homeowner opted for a motion-sensing ball that falls off the ring and into the pipe when seismic activity is detected. The technician first shut off the gas to the home and was able to successfully install the valve as close as possible to the gas meter to ensure that it would function properly during an earthquake.
08/28/2019
A landlord called us to state that his earthquake valves were not complaint with his insurance company and that he needed a different model to be installed at the building.
We receive numerous calls from homeowners stating that insurance companies request earthquake valves to be installed on the property so we were able to dispatch a trained technician to perform the job.
The landlord previously had an excess flow valve installed at the building. Instead, the insurance company required a motion-sensing caged ball that would drop the ball into the gas pipe and stop gas flow in the event of seismic activity. The technician made sure that the gas lines were turned off to the building before removing the excess flow valve. He installed the new earthquake valve as close to the gas meter as possible. He explained that the farther out the valve is from the meter, the more chance there is of the unit malfunctioning. The landlord was happy with the quick and efficient installation.
07/16/2019
A customer contacted us asking if we would be able to install an earthquake valve in her residence to protect her home and property from potential gas leaks and damage.
We needed to find out what type of system the customer wanted in her home before we were able to install the valve.
Before beginning, the technician asked if the customer had wanted an excessive flow sensor which would automatically close the valve if a certain flow limit was reached or if the customer preferred a motion sensing ball that would fall off a ring and block the gas pipe to the home in the event of seismic activity. The technician shut off the gas to the home and verified that the customer was not on SoCalGas's line before he began the installation of the desired motion sensing earthquake valve. He placed the valve in between the gas meter to the home while ensuring the valve was close to the meter itself. After finishing, the technician ensured that the customer's gas was turned on and functioning properly.
06/13/2019
We received a call that a customer was told by his insurance company that he needed to install an earthquake valve at his home.
We visited the customer’s home to evaluate and determine which type of gas valve we needed to employ. One valve uses a motion-sensing ball while the other uses a senor that detects excessive levels of gas due to line breaks and shuts off current gas services.
We discussed the options with the customer and decided to install the motion-sensing ball at his residence. We explained that the ball in the valve will sit on a ring on top of the pipe opening. When seismic action occurs, the ball will fall into the opening to restrict the flow of gas into the home. The customer was satisfied with the installation and thanked us for taking the time to work through each option with him.
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