Lexington is unusual: the City owns and runs its own natural gas system, so a gas smell in a Lexington home means getting outside and calling 911 or Lexington Utilities from there, not Piedmont. Work on your own piping, such as a new range line or a leak past the meter, is plumber work, so call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Lexington.
Lexington's own gas utility
The City of Lexington operates water, sewer, electric and natural gas systems, and its gas customers include city residents and others across Davidson County. The 2014 state Utilities Commission report lists only portions of Davidson County for Piedmont Natural Gas, so most in-town gas questions about meters, mains and service start with Lexington Utilities.
The houses are old by regional standards. Census survey figures put the median year built at 1969, with about 68% of homes built before 1980 and around 14% before 1940. In the Uptown, Erlanger Mill Village and Lexington Residential historic districts, gas piping has often been added to over generations, with iron pipe feeding a furnace that has been replaced several times and stubs to appliances that are long gone.
The City's Business & Community Development permitting office publishes plumbing and mechanical permit process sheets and takes applications through an online Permit Portal at City Hall on West Center Street.
Who handles what on a Lexington gas system
| Part of the system | Usually the responsibility of |
|---|---|
| Gas main in the street and the meter | Lexington Utilities (or Piedmont, if your bill comes from them) |
| Starting new service or moving a meter | The gas utility, often with a plumber preparing the house side |
| Piping from the meter outlet into the house | The property owner, worked on by a plumber |
| Branch lines, valves and appliance connectors | The property owner, worked on by a plumber |
| Permit and inspection for new piping | City permitting office, applied for by the plumber |
Signs it's time to call
- A sulfur smell. Leave the house and call from outside.
- Hissing near the meter, a valve or behind an appliance
- Flames that burn yellow, lift off the burner or leave soot
- A pilot that keeps going out on the water heater or furnace
- Kinked, cracked or very old flexible connectors behind appliances
Timing your gas work
Late summer and early fall are good times to have gas piping checked, before furnaces start running every day. If you're replacing a gas water heater or furnace, plan the piping work with the equipment change so the line can be resized if needed. Anything involving a new meter or a service change needs the utility's schedule too, so allow extra time for that.
Gas Line Services questions in Lexington
What's the right move if the house smells like gas?
Which part of the gas piping is mine to maintain?
What gas piping problems show up in older houses?
Will gas piping work here need a permit and an inspection?
More plumbing services in Lexington
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