How long does it take PSE&G to begin work of installing a gas line?

Jersey2

I am going to switch from oil to gas heat, so I contacted PSE&G, filled out the BTU form and emailed it to them. Does anyone know how long it takes from mailing the form to having the work start? I would like to convert for this heating season but I'm not sure if there is enough time before the end of October. Today is 8/13/21.

Jamie Hall

Depending on where you are and what other catastrophes are going down in California -- anywhere from a few weeks to months.

ChrisJ

Jersey2 said:

I am going to switch from oil to gas heat, so I contacted PSE&G, filled out the BTU form and emailed it to them. Does anyone know how long it takes from mailing the form to having the work start? I would like to convert for this heating season but I'm not sure if there is enough time before the end of October. Today is 8/13/21.

If you're concerned call PSEG and ask, they should be able to tell you an approximate date. I've always had good experiences with them.

You may also be able to get bumped up if you tell them you'll have no other sources of heat etc.

EzzyT

From my experience dealing with PSEG this time of year one can wait 1-3 months before a new gas service to be brought in to the structure. 

Steamhead

EzzyT said:

From my experience dealing with PSEG this time of year one can wait 1-3 months before a new gas service to be brought in to the structure. 

Well, that's better than BG&E...................

Jersey2

Thanks guys. I'm in NJ. I got an auto response email from them that says I should hear from them within 10 days, I guess via email, and once my request is processed I can see the status online. I can try calling them then, if the wait time is months. What happened was, I got the btu form and didn't know what numbers to enter so I called PSE&G to come out and do an estimate and figured I would get the btu numbers from him. It took 3 weeks just for someone to come do that. Ironically he couldn't give me an estimate because I didn't have a gas line to the house. He gave me the btus for the heating, and I just guessed for future stove and cloths drier from what he said, I put 35K for each. I asked him for a ball park figure and he said between fourteen and sixteen-K, most likely under fifteen and they would install a weil-mclain with a tankless heater but no specifics. I showed him a picture of a weil-mclain EG Series 6, since I saw it got good reviews, and he said that is only for steam heat so it wasn't applicable, even though the website says it is a hot water boiler too.
It is not an inexpensive project, that's for sure. Meanwhile my ancient boiler has a bad old fashion 16 gallon expansion tank that needs to be replaced, and I don't want to have a ton of oil left in the tank to pump out after having the gas boiler installed. I usually fill my tank in September, 4 or 5 weeks from now. My other question is, is pulling the underground tank mandatory after changing to gas? If so, is there a grace period before it has to be removed? That would be another expensive project especially where it is located, under a nice patio.

EzzyT

Where in NJ are you located? 

Yes the oil tank must be removed as per code in NJ and will need to be done part of the permit filing process and inspections. Do you know if the tank is in good shape and isn’t leaking?
Do you have tank insurance on the oil tank? If so then the insurance will cover the cost of removal and remediation of any soil that could be contaminated but they will install a new tank inside of the house if there is room or one outside above ground.

Jersey2

I'm in central NJ. My tank doesn't leak, based on the lack of water in the bottom and the burner running good and how long the oil lasts. I don't have tank insurance. After removal I would need a new patio built, or I suppose I can have it replaced with dirt and not have a patio. If I need to remove the tank right away I most likely won't switch to gas, as the costs would be too high to do three major projects all at once. I would get another oil fired boiler. I suppose I can still have a gas line installed to the house.

ChrisJ

Jersey2 said:

I'm in central NJ. My tank doesn't leak, based on the lack of water in the bottom and the burner running good and how long the oil lasts. I don't have tank insurance. After removal I would need a new patio built, or I suppose I can have it replaced with dirt and not have a patio. If I need to remove the tank right away I most likely won't switch to gas, as the costs would be too high to do three major projects all at once. I would get another oil fired boiler. I suppose I can still have a gas line installed to the house.

If it's the same deal as my gas co did, you won't be able to.
The only reason they did mine was I agreed to switch to them for heat. It's not worth it to them for a stove and dryer.

Do what you can to make it happen, you won't regret the change.

Jersey2

I will try and get detailed estimates from contractors, maybe the cost of tank removal won't be as expensive as I think. Maybe I will have to decommission the tank because of its location, and then I wouldn't have the patio rebuild expense, just a patio fix expense.

Jersey2

The decaying plate on the tankless (picture) is my main reason, besides its age for needing a new boiler. It has been crusty for a few years, I tried painting it some years ago but it is rusting from water vapor coming out, not from outside in. I assume it will be in service this winter since winter is right around the corner and the middle of winter wouldn't be a good time to replace it. But who knows.

ChrisJ

Jersey2 said:

The decaying plate on the tankless (picture) is my main reason, besides its age for needing a new boiler. It has been crusty for a few years, I tried painting it some years ago but it is rusting from water vapor coming out, not from outside in. I assume it will be in service this winter since winter is right around the corner and the middle of winter wouldn't be a good time to replace it. But who knows.

Please share some more pictures of the boiler, the piping around it etc.

Jersey2

I got an email today from PSE&G stating that they successfully processed my request, and I will be hearing from the gas division within three weeks. They linked some literature to read. So it is moving along.

Questions
It says that PSE&G will need an appliance ready to feed gas to, when they set the meter. That would be the new boiler. That means I would be without heat or hot water from the time the new boiler is installed to when the meter is turned on, right? So the order is, PSE&G lays the pipe to house, attaches the meter all with the gas off, then I call the contractor or PSE&G if they do it, to install the boiler and when finished the contractor (or me) contacts the gas division for inspection and to turn the gas on? If the process runs into the cold weather I guess I would hold off until spring when it is warmer for the install.

How long is the buried gas pipe good for? As we have learned from buried oil tanks, nothing lasts forever, springing a gas leak sounds a little dangerous. Have any of you guys had the gas pipe leak?

Jersey2

JUGHNE

Buried gas line....most likely your new line will be some form of poly pipe.
Steel risers at each end with a tracer wire buried with it for locating in the future.

The fact that NG is lighter than air and the pipe comes up above ground before it enters your house makes a safer installation. A leak outside would seep up thru the ground and kill the vegetation above it. You would notice this or smell it outside.

Old installs used to come thru the basement wall and gas could follow the trench into the house, I don't believe anyone does that anymore.

We have an "old school" type of NG system in our village.
It is PVC coated steel pipe with cathodic applied to the pipe to "heal" any cuts in the PVC coating......This was installed in 1967-68....53 years ago.

The only leaks were caused by vehicle hits to meters and backhoes digging without calling for locates.

EzzyT

If I was the contractor doing the work the order of sequence of operation would be. 

Gas piping from boiler to outside of house with pressure test and inspection.
Installation of a new boiler with new near boiler piping, hot water heater or indirect tank along side of the exiting boiler if space will allow it. This will allow the turn over from the old boiler to the new boiler quick and easy plus schedule the installation of the gas meter the same day. One would be without heat and hot water for the day. 

Jersey2

I didn't know that the gas pipe will go into the house above ground. It sounds like it will be fine for my lifetime.

JUGHNE

My assumption is that the UG gas line will "break ground" at your house and then enter thru the sill plate/wall above ground.
Your meter and regulator may be at the house...in my case they are in the alley at the property line.

ChrisJ

All of the modern ones I've seen in NJ are outside the house and run in after the meter above ground.

Statistically natural gas is far safer than electrical service so if you're ok with having electricity in your home.....

Jersey2

Just an update, 3 weeks is just about up and the status has been stuck on "Preparing Estimate" for a couple of weeks. I imagine PSE&G will be very busy because of the flooding. I will let another week go by and then contact them to see what is delaying the estimate.

Jersey2

I called PSE&G on 9/15, they said they would email an inspector to come look at my house. Then yesterday (9/16) the inspector came to my house and suggested the spot for the meter and measured the distance from the road to my house. Then today I got an email of the cost, and they will mail me a bill. What is confusing is the email says once they receive my payment they will schedule the work orders necessary including getting the permit, which is clear, but then it goes on to say one of the requirements before a meter can be installed is that I have an appliance (heater) installed and pressure tested. I will call them to clarify, but does that mean they will run the line, then I have the installation, then they install the meter? Or does it mean I need to have the appliance installed before even having the gas line run? Meanwhile I have to order oil because it will be getting cold soon.

Jersey2

Another question I have is, what holds the meter up? A steak in the ground? A cement pad? Does it get screwed right into the side of the house?

pecmsg

At this point I have to ask What is the installing contractor saying about all this?

Jersey2

I don't have a contractor. I figure I may as well have PSE&G install it. I had PSE&G come over weeks ago to give me an estimate but he said he couldn't because I didn't have a gas line yet. When I asked him for a ball park, he did give me an approximate number.

ChrisJ

Jersey2 said:

I don't have a contractor. I figure I may as well have PSE&G install it. I had PSE&G come over weeks ago to give me an estimate but he said he couldn't because I didn't have a gas line yet. When I asked him for a ball park, he did give me an approximate number.

In my case, there's a riser pipe that goes down into the ground to connect to the gas company's plastic line.

The other side of the meter is held up by the pipe going into the house.

pecmsg

Jersey2 said:

I don't have a contractor. I figure I may as well have PSE&G install it. I had PSE&G come over weeks ago to give me an estimate but he said he couldn't because I didn't have a gas line yet. When I asked him for a ball park, he did give me an approximate number.

Does PSE&G deal with home owners for new service? A licensed contractor will know what's needed and in what order and probably get a better response from PSE&G.

ChrisJ

pecmsg said:

Jersey2 said:

I don't have a contractor. I figure I may as well have PSE&G install it. I had PSE&G come over weeks ago to give me an estimate but he said he couldn't because I didn't have a gas line yet. When I asked him for a ball park, he did give me an approximate number.

Does PSE&G deal with home owners for new service? A licensed contractor will know what's needed and in what order and probably get a better response from PSE&G.

They have contractors working for them.
They also do appliance repair, replacement etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they will run new fuel piping etc in a customers house.


I'm not sure how good their installs are, but I do know there's at least one guy working for them that can do a hell of a steam boiler installation.

Jersey2

I called PSE&G, so they will install the gas line first, and install the meter later, after the appliance has been installed and inspected. Getting the gas line is inexpensive, the total cost is what the town permit charge is for opening the road. In the meantime I got a shipment of oil because it will get cold soon and I don't know when PSE&G will install the line, and how long it will take to get a contractor or PSE&G, and when work would start for the install and how long the install will take. So I may get the gas line and wait until April for the install, if I couldn't switch until November, December or January when it is cold. That would only be an extra 3 to 5 month wait, and I wouldn't need heat in April/May.
Yes PSE&G does installations with free estimates, they advertise it on their web site. What is appealing to have them do it is, it's like an all in one. They do the gas line, the install, the testing, the inspecting, the meter and the opening of the meter. And they can't do half the work and disappear, I can always find them and call them. They install WM and I like WM boilers. I had asked them if they contract the work out, and they said no, only hot water installations are contracted out. I will call other contractors too, for estimates once the gas line is in place. There is no big rush since I got the oil shipment.

Jersey2

All done, I have a gas line.

ratio

So, 4½ months! Do you have heat back on already?

Jersey2

Yup it took a long time. In September I got a season's worth of heating oil, and my boiler is running fine. I just hope it doesn't start leaking too bad but I feel confident it will make it through the winter. I will get a gas boiler in the spring, when it is warmer.