Beginning April 14, 2017 new federal regulation 49 CFR 192.383(e) requires every natural gas utility, including the City of Garnett Gas Department, notify their customers about the potential benefits of an Excess Flow Valve (EFV), who is responsible for the initial installation costs of an EFV, and who is responsible for any replacement or maintenance costs associated with an EFV.

If you are a customer of the City of Garnett Gas Department, and connected to a high-pressure service area, you may request that an EFV be installed on the gas service line to your property if it currently does not have one, and the service line meets certain criteria. The City of Garnett Gas Department has been installing EFV's on all new service lines on single family homes since 2008, so if your home was built in this time frame, it probably already has an EFV installed on the service line.

EFVs are mechanical shut-off devices that can be installed on the gas service line, which is the gas pipe running from the gas main to the gas meter on your property. An EFV is designed to shut off the flow of natural gas automatically if the service line breaks, for example, by an excavation accident or vehicle striking the meter set. Stopping the flow of gas from a broken service line significantly reduces the risk of natural gas fire, explosion, personal injury and/or property damage. EFVs are not however, designed to close if a leak occurs beyond the gas meter (on house piping or appliances), or if the leak on the service line is too small to trip (close) the EFV.

EFV's are rated for a specific flow rate. If at a later date you add additional gas appliances, for example, a pool heater, emergency generator, etc., the additional gas flow may cause the EFV to trip. If this happens, the EFV will have to be replaced with an EFV that will accommodate the larger flow rate. On the other hand if you chose an EFV with a larger flow rate than you need, it will take a larger breach in the service line to stop the flow.

You, the consumer, are responsible for the cost of installing the EFV. The average installation cost is typically $200.00 for P.E. service lines and $250.00 for steel service lines, but the actual installation cost will depend on the difficulty of installation. We will inform you of the actual cost before you make the final decision to install an EFV. If it becomes necessary to replace the EFV on your service line due to increased flow demand, you will be liable for the cost of replacing the EFV. Replacing an EFV would normally cost approximately the same as the initial installation, but will be figured at the time of replacement.

Industry experience is that EFV's rarely malfunction (sticks open or closed) due to normal wear and tear, but if this does occur, the City of Garnett Gas Department will be liable for the replacement of the EFV.

Below are conditions that would exclude a service line from receiving an EFV:

  • EFVs cannot be installed on some service lines due to high gas flow, low pressure or other factors;
  • The operator has prior experience with contaminants in the gas stream that could interfere with the EFV’s operation or cause loss of service to a customer;
  • An EFV meeting the performance standards in § 192.381 is not commercially available to the operator;
  • The EFV could interfere with proper operation or cause loss of service; or
  • The capacity of the meter on the service line exceeds 1,000 cubic feet per hour


If you request an EFV we will inform you if your service line meets any of these conditions. If you notify us that you want an EFV we will contact you to set up a mutually agreeable date when we will install an EFV on your service line. If you have any questions or would like to request the installation of an EFV contact the Garnett City Hall at 785-448-5496.
 

Potential Benefits of Excess Flow Valve (EFV)

For your safety, always call 811 to have gas lines and other buried utilities marked before allowing anyone to dig in your yard.

​Simply...Garnett, Kansas

Simply...Garnett, Kansas

Simply...Garnett, Kansas

City of Garnett Utilities

​Garnett City Hall
131 W 5th Avenue
Garnett, KS  66032
Phone 785.448.5496 
Fax     785.448.5555


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