Natural gas is a very big part of our society, far more than you probably realize. Every time you turn on a furnace, or a gas stove, or an oven, you’re making use of natural gas. Natural gas is so popular as a fuel type because it has a pretty high ratio of energy produced to the amount of gas burned. While this makes the highly combustible gas great for heating, it also makes it very dangerous under the wrong circumstances. That’s why you should install an earthquake emergency shutoff valve. Read on for more information on why earthquake emergency shutoff valves are necessary in Orange County, CA.
What is it?
An earthquake emergency shutoff valve is a valve that is installed in your gas line. The valve is equipped with sensors that monitor the gas line. When an earthquake above a certain magnitude occurs, the valve shuts off the flow of gas into the house to prevent a leak. This way, even if your pipes are damaged, there will be no gas leaking into the house.
Why it’s Necessary
Depending on whether or not you’ve ever had a gas leak in your home, you may already know that every home is outfitted with a manual valve to cut off the flow of gas. If that’s already an option, why do you need an automatic valve? Well, for one thing, you may not know where your gas shutoff valve actually is. For another, it may take time to get to the valve from wherever you are when the earthquake occurs. Finally, if an earthquake occurs when you’re not home, there may not be anyone there to turn off the gas. These three issues make it much more likely for a serious accident to occur after an earthquake. With an earthquake shutoff valve, however, you won’t ever have to worry about gas leaks; the valve will take care of everything for you.
If you’d like to know more, call Saddleback Plumbing. We install and service earthquake emergency shutoff valves throughout Orange County, CA.