Although the wire might be mistaken for a loose ground wire connection, it’s actually a “tracer wire” that is installed next to the gas pipe when it is run underground from the gas main at the street to a house. Because many gas pipes today are plastic and not electronically traceable, the wire can be energized at a frequency that is recognized by a hand-held tracing tool to locate the path of the pipe.

    It is usually a #12 copper wire and we often see it wrapped loosely around the base of the gas supply pipe running up to the meter, as in the picture above. Gas companies also typically mandate that a warning tape be buried above the gas line to warn anyone digging there that an active gas line is below it. Both of these safety features are designed to help anyone digging around gas service to a home avoid inadvertently fracturing the pipe and causing a dangerous gas leak.

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about PLUMBING PIPES:

• How can I protect my pipes to keep them from bursting during a hard winter freeze in North Florida?

• Can galvanized steel pipe still be used for new water lines in a house? 

• How can I tell if I have cast iron pipes in my house? 

• Why can't a sanitary tee be used for a horizontal-to-horizontal drain pipe connection? 

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

• What are the abandoned pipes sticking out of the wall in my house?  

• What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations?

• What are the code requirements for layout of drain piping under sinks?

• What causes a gurgling sound when a bathtub or sink drains? 

• What is the difference between water pipe and sewage (waste) pipe? 

• Are plastic pipes (PVC, CPVC, and PEX) safe for drinking water?  

• Is a hot water faucet handle required to be on the left? 

• What is a dielectric union? 

• What's that powdery crust on the pipe connections at the water heater? 

• If all the plumbing drains have water in them and you can still smell sewer gas, what's causing the problem?  

• How can I tell what type of plumbing pipe I have?

• Why is there a flexible accordion pipe under the sink? 

• What is the difference between PVC and ABS plumbing pipe?

• Which water pipes are an insurance problem and possibly uninsurable?

• Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater? 

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