Earthquake Valves

In the case of an earthquake or other naturally occurring disaster, many safety precautions are generally implemented within the foundation of a home. Homes themselves contain many dangerous components that may provide a significant risk to the residents who live there.

Many energy sources may provide risk to a home and its residents. These sources of energy often come in the form of gas or electric power. Arguably, it's gas that provides the most risk to a home. Not only can it harm the home itself, but undetected leaks can potentially threaten lives.

To combat situations where natural disasters like earthquakes affect an entire area, a device known as an earthquake gas shut off valve prevents a home from being affected by the natural occurrence. This device is designed to automatically shut off a homeowner's gas service after an earthquake or other naturally occurring disaster happens to a home.

It activates when an earthquake of an allotted magnitude disturbs the foundation of a resident's home location. These particular valves are also known as excess flow valves, since they're designed to shut off gas service for a home when significant gas leaks or overpressure surges affect parts of the gas service's piping past the point of the valve's installation.

If a homeowner's earthquake gas shut off valve activates during a natural disaster or even a gas leak, the valve can actually be reset back to its original state. Although many gas systems provide manufacturer’s instructions for the actual resetting, the process itself should be conducted by a licensed contractor. This allows them to thoroughly check the system for any additional leaks while performing a safety check before resetting the device itself.

Most homes, however, are likely to not have an earthquake gas shut off valve installed, particularly if they live in areas of the United States not prone to earthquakes. If a homeowner does live in an earthquake prone area like the United States west coast, an earthquake gas shut off valve installation is a valuable investment.

People living on the west coast usually have an earthquake gas shut off valve installation performed for their gas system. The device gets outfitted onto their house-line gas system with the help of a licensed contractor.

Many cities and corresponding counties on the west coast have regulations requiring earthquake gas shut off valve installation. These regulations oft vary, though require residents to have certified earthquake gas shut off valve installed with the help of a licensed contractor.