Gas Shut-Off Valve Makers Get a Jolt

A jolt like 5.4 quake is about to hit the Southland market for earthquake gas-shut-off valves.

After years of opposition to quake valves, the Southern California Gas Co. has reversed course and has developed its own and is marketing the device to its residential customers.

The utility’s entry into the marketplace has the potential to expand what has been a cottage industry into a multimillion-dollar business, as more than 3 million homes served by the company are being offered a quake valve at about $200 installed.

The Gas Co. valve, like the six other valves certified for use in city of Los Angeles and the state, is designed to help prevent gas fires after a quake of about 5.4 magnitude or greater by automatically shutting off the flow of gas before it enters a structure.

Sold by a Gas Co. affiliate called Energy Pacific, the softball-sized valve is installed in the incoming gas pipe just before the gas meter. The installation can be done by the utility, a licensed plumber or general contractor. The $200 cost can be spread over four or 12 monthly payments.

Public safety officials have long advocated automatic gas-shut-off valves for several reasons:

* Manual gas shut-off may not be possible quickly enough during or after a major quake to prevent a fire or explosion.

* There may not be anyone capable of manually shutting off the gas at home after a large quake.

* Homeowners could have gas leaks and not know it. Gas Co. statistics compiled after the 1994 Northridge quake revealed that about 20% of the homes where their technicians restored gas service had potentially dangerous pipe damage.

Until recently the quake valve market had been dominated for years by several small companies.

Now the Gas Co., after successfully test-marketing its valve in the San Fernando Valley, north Orange County and Riverside last year, is offering the device throughout most of its Southland service area from Santa Barbara to San Clemente and east to the Palm Springs area.

With television ads now being aired and the city of Los Angeles mandating seismic gas shut-off valves on all new homes and all remodels costing more than $10,000, the utility’s entry into the market is expected to shake things up for the smaller valve companies that have had the business to themselves, as well as heighten consumer awareness of the valves.

Seven valves are certified for installation by both the city of Los Angeles and the state:

* Energy Pacific (the Gas Co.): (800) 365-3636

* Pacific Seismic Products: (800) 4-GASOFF

* Seismic Safety Products: (800) 948-3782

* Engdahl Enterprises: (714) 540-0398

* Safe-T-Quake: (800) 786-7347

* Quake Defense: (800) 969-1906

* Vanguard Valves: (800) 718-7467

Installation prices range from $185 to $325, depending on access, pipe size and valve design. Some cities require a permit for installation.

In picking a valve, consumers need to be aware of two potential safety problems with some valves, experts advise:

* The first is the possibility that the valve could shut off and then reopen by itself in a severe quake.

* The second is the lack of a manual shut-off method available on most of the valves.

Although all seven devices are fully certified, only the valves sold by Pacific Seismic Products, Seismic Safety Products and Engdahl Enterprises are designed and built to keep the valve from reopening by itself after shut-off during a quake.

Most of the makers rely on gravity alone to keep their valve closed after it trips, but Pacific Seismic, Seismic Safety and Engdahl use a magnet or spring to avoid reopening.

Under most circumstances the gravity design is adequate, but if the gas meter is somehow tipped at a steep angle by the temblor or falling debris, the valves could reopen.

During the 1989 Loma Prieta quake in the San Francisco Bay Area, meter tipping occurred at several locations.

The non-gravity valves cannot open themselves, even if tipped on their side.

Dirk Lennie, the director of seismic services for Energy Pacific, said the utility’s device meets all current standards for quake valve safety.

“It will tilt at up to a 45-degree angle without reopening itself,” he said. “If a meter is somehow pushed to over 45 degrees, chances are the exterior gas pipes will rupture anyway, rendering the shut-off valve useless.”

A second safety issue is the lack of a manual shut-off method on all but the Seismic Safety and Pacific Seismic valves.

According to Gas Co. statistics, at least 5% of residential gas main values are frozen open. So if a quake valve is reset manually after automatic shut-off and a gas leak is detected, the homeowner could be in danger with a leak under pressure and no way to shut off the gas supply.

A Gas Co. representative said the company checks and repairs gas main valves when the shut-off valves are installed. (Incidentally, Gas Co. technicians will install any approved valve, not just theirs.)

An investigation into the safety of earthquake gas valves sold in the United States is underway by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The findings will likely be available later this year.

For now, consumers are advised to contact their local Building and Safety Department for information and a list of earthquake valves approved for installation in their community.

In selecting the proper valve for your needs, the best advice is to ask your plumber or contractor for his or her valve preference or to ask the manufacturers about safety features and price.