Gas Line Services in Fairfax Station, VA

Warning signs

• A sulfur or rotten-egg odor. Leave first; call from outside.
• A hiss near the meter, propane regulator or an appliance valve
• Flames that burn yellow, lift off the burner or leave soot
• A furnace or fireplace pilot that won't hold
• Patchy dead grass over a buried line to a pool heater or outbuilding

The smell is the only sign that calls for evacuating. The others are reasons to get a plumber out soon.

Gas in Fairfax Station

Fairfax Station began as a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in 1851 and is now a mostly residential, car-dependent and unincorporated community in southern Fairfax County. Fairfax County says Washington Gas serves most residents, with Columbia Gas of Virginia limited to parts of Chantilly and Herndon. A house without a gas meter runs on propane or electricity instead, and the bill or tank supplier tells you which applies. Knowing this before an emergency matters, because the call after 911 goes to a different company in each case.

Permits come from Fairfax County Land Development Services, 12055 Government Center Parkway, through the PLUS online system. Replacing a gas water heater or furnace requires a permit even when the new unit matches the old one, and any new gas piping needs a Residential Plumbing permit.

The median home was built in 1982, so much of the piping is original steel now past forty years. Houses that have picked up extra appliances over time, such as a fireplace insert, a pool heater, a grill line or a standby generator, can end up with branches too small for everything running at once. Long runs need careful sizing, and additions are where shortfalls usually appear.

What affects cost

• The distance from meter or tank, and trenching or boring on a large lot
• Pipe size needed for high-demand appliances
• Whether the propane regulator or utility meter can supply the added load
• Fairfax County permit and inspection
• Restoring lawn, hardscape or finished rooms

When you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who handles gas and propane piping in Fairfax Station. Say which fuel the house uses, which appliance is involved and roughly how far it sits from the meter or tank. For outdoor work, mention any private buried lines you already know about.