Our gas leak! Update in post 15

[Cinder & Smoke]

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

OMG!

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!

[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 (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 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]

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

[ramanth]

Insane!

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