When a house has been vacant and the gas turned off for an extended period of time, the gas utility removes the meter. You can usually find a pipe sticking out of the ground near one of the exterior walls of the house, like in the photo above, that is capped and has a locked shut-off valve. You might also be able to see the faint outline of the mounting bracket for the meter on the wall behind the pipe.

    But sometimes there is no visible evidence there ever was a gas meter. Federal and State regulations require gas service piping made of older materials (like black plastic, bare steel, copper, etc.) to be removed at the gas main after service has been inactive for two years. So, in that situation, there might be no above-ground evidence of a former gas service.

    Most gas utilities do not charge to reinstall gas service, when requested, after it has been removed to meet those government requirements.

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Here’s links to a collection of some of our other blog posts about APPLIANCES: 

• What are the building code requirements for installing an appliance (furnace, air handler, water heater) in the attic?

• Which house appliances need a dedicated electrical circuit? 

• Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe?

• When was GFCI-protection for kitchen dishwasher receptacle outlet first required? 

• Why does venting a clothes dryer into a garage, attic, or crawl space cause problems?

• Does a refrigerator water supply line require a shutoff valve behind it? 

• My spa tub stopped working. What's wrong?

• What is the maximum recommended height above the floor for an above-the-range microwave? 

• Is a hot water faucet required at a washing machine?

• Can I remove a 240-volt range receptacle and hard-wire the range? 

• Are a range and refrigerator required kitchen appliances for a house to pass FHA inspection? 

• What are the code requirements for an outdoor dryer vent cover?

• What is the maximum length for a clothes dryer vent? 

• Why are my ceiling fan blades drooping?

• How do you inspect a dryer vent? 

• Why is there a water hose connected to the back of the clothes dryer?

    Visit our APPLIANCES page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.