Our gas leak! Update in post 15

[Sirrahsim]

A couple of minutes ago a couple came and knocked on our door to let us know that they smelled gas outside of our house. We have gas appliances so one thing that we are nervous about is a gas leak! The thing is that I can't smell a thing... I went out to my front sidewalk where they had been when they smelled it but I don't really smell anything... They said that they usually circle the block a few times (out for a walk) and if they smelled it again they would just call the fire dept :confused:

So I wonder if I'm crazy and my nose is broken... or if they were smelling someone's propane grill or something.. I don't know why anyone would be grilling at 9:45 on a Sunday night though :confused: :confused:

*updated* apparently our neighbors called the fire department because they just showed up and they smell it at our gas lines :eek: :eek: I'll update when I know something

[Catty1]

If your gas company does checks for free, I would get them to do one. Probably a good idea, even if nothing is wrong.

[columbine]

Yeah, phone the number on your gas bill and see if the recording says "If you're calling to report a gas odor, call..." My gas company does, anyway.

Love, Columbine

[Sirrahsim]

The base pays for our utilities so it wouldn't cost anything anyway but I don't want to call them out for nothing :( I'll have hubby go out and if he catches so much as a whiff we will make the call.

[Sirrahsim]

*updated* apparently our neighbors called the fire department because they just showed up and they smell it at our gas lines :eek: :eek: I'll update when I know something

[Sirrahsim]

The firemen told us that we have a small gas leak coming from our regulator thingymabob. At this point it isn't too bad but I had to put in an emergency maintenance request to our "landlords" so it'll be a long night of waiting up while they make their way over here and fix the leak. I'm glad that it wasn't too serious!!

[Cinder & Smoke]

The firemen told us that we have a small gas leak coming from our regulator thingymabob.

:eek:
:confused:

Kinda *strange* that the FireGuys didn't call the GAS Company ...

I my part of the world ... the GAS Company wants to hear about ANY leaks,
24/7/365!

Most Gas Companies have a 24/7 "Trouble Truck" that will be on the road
within minutes of a Fire Department reporting a gas leak. If the Trouble Guy
can't do a quick stop of the leak, he shuts off the gas before the leak.
THEN he decides who is going to make the permanent "fix".

If you were going to have a campfire tonight, better move it to the opposite
side of the house!
;)

[Sirrahsim]

No one quite knows which way is up as far as emergency services and utilities right now. Our housing was just turned over from the base to a private contractor so our emergency services are in transition from base services to city services. The firemen didn't know who to call so they had me call the contractors... Make sense? The maintenance guy was just out here and made me wake my husband to see if he smelled gas :mad: Hello, I'm a person too, and a pregnant woman at that so my nose is quite sensitive! :rolleyes: He just left to go get his analyzer thingy and instructed us not to turn any more lights on or anything :confused: I guess I have time to catch up on my videogames :rolleyes:

[caseysmom]

Wow it sounds pretty scary, be careful about using your phone in the house also. I hope they follow through, if not I would be wary about sleeping in the house, at least maybe sleep in shifts.

Do you have any friends you could stay with?

[Sirrahsim]

They brought out a thingy that checks for gas and didn't find any in the house. He said that it was coming from the ground somewhere in our backyard and that he'd call it in to the city. He said that we'd be fine as long as nobody was smoking in our backyard. For now we're just supposed to relax, go to bed, and try not to make sparks.

[Cinder & Smoke]

No one quite knows which way is up ...

Our emergency services are in transition from base services to city services. The firemen didn't know who to call ... :eek:

The maintenance guy ... just left to go get his analyzer thingy ... :rolleyes:

This sounds like a Three Stooges Comedy Routine!

Which flavor FireGuys showed up - Military or City?
"Didn't know who to call" sounds pretty lame to me! :(

And the Maintenance Guy showing up for a midnight GAS Leak without his
GAS detector/analyzer ... OMG! Did he have his shoes and pants on? :rolleyes:

I'm assuming you can't smell even a tiny *whiff* of gas INSIDE the house --- right?

If you DO smell gas INside the house - immediatly grab the Kid, da Kat, and Hubby -
and get the heck OUT of there.

[Cinder & Smoke]

For now we're just supposed to relax, go to bed, and try not to make sparks.

OMG! :p

I've handled a bunch of gas leaks over the years ...

Never thought to tell folks to "Go to bed, and Don't Make Sparks!"

Lemmie write that down ...
The Stooges would be proud of you Texas Folks!

:D

[Lilith Cherry]

Missy, please take Fred's advice very seriously indeed...in fact I would be outta there with your family in tow until the leak is fixed and dealt with properly!

Take care and you will be in prayers.

[Sirrahsim]

The Full Story


I agree with Phred that this would make a great three stooges act. No body seemed to know what they were doing.
The first people to show up were a group of two city firemen and an MP. They wandered around the house until they found our gas lines and really seemed more concerned with why our gas wasn't metered than they were about why it was leaking out of the pipes in the middle of a residential neighborhood. They all stood around it with their flashlights for a while talking about who they were supposed to call. After a while they rang the doorbell :eek: (a gas leak no-no) and said that we have a gas leak coming from the "round thing" on our gas lines and asked if the landlords had given me a list of contact numbers for the gas company.... I told them no, that they are responsible for all that. We don't deal with the gas company at all. So they told me that they'd poke around but that I should call our maintenance people tonight "to let them know what was going on".

I called them and a little while later a guy showed up with a flashlight and asked what the fire department had told me. I filled him in and he asked if I had any sort of spray bottle or soap?? I gave him a bottle of dish soap and as far as I know that is how he checked for the leak... After a while he had me wake my sleeping husband to ask if HE smelled anything and then left to get his analyzer. A while later he came back and tested various rooms in the house and didn't find anything. He said that he definately detected gas outside, probably leaking from the underground gas main, but that nothing was inside. Got to bed, no sparks, etc....
It occured to me this morning that he didn't even offer to shut off our pilot light.. He tells us not to let anyone ring the doorbell... but doesn't shut off our pilot light???

Sooo sometime today someone from the city is supposed to come out and take a look at the gas lines. It was quite obvious that the guy maintenance sent out was just a handyman and not a gas guy... I feel real safe :rolleyes: I am keeping my nose on alert and if I smell ANYTHING in the house at all I will pack up Tyler and Boomer and go...

*yawn* I hope that they get everything with the emergency response worked out soon... I'm not feeling too confident at the moment :(

[Sirrahsim]

:D Someone actually knows what they are doing!! The main maintenance guy was here with his analyzer thingy this morning and left with the grim news that he may need to cut off the gas to the entire block. Apparently it is a small leak but it is at a place that is problematic. There is already a decent sized hole dug in my yard and I'm sure it's going to get bigger. He left a little bit ago to grab his supervisor and as soon as they get here I am going to take Tyler to the park for an hour or two to get away from the drama. He said that I could leave if I really wanted to but that I'd have to call him when I got back to come turn the pilot light back on.
I guess I should bake the neighbors cookies or something for calling the leak to our attention!

Edited to add that baking cookies will have to wait until the gas leak is fixed :rolleyes:

[ramanth]

Insane!

I'm glad you guys are okay and I hope they can fix the leak quickly.