It was so cold last night that the heat ran all night.... I'm not sure it ever turned off.... And that wasn't good because.....
When I got home last night, I could smell natural gas out in front of our house... Right in front of the garage... I've thought I smelled it before but only whiffs.. But last night it was almost overwhelming...
I walked all over inside the house and didn't smell it, so I decided it was outside and the wind was blowing... And since it was late, we'll deal with it tomorrow...
So I called the gas company this morning and declared an emergency... It took about two and a half hours for them to come over on that emergency... ! Evidently lots of other folks smell gas all over the place when everyone is heating and it just takes that long for them to look in on it all....
The guy with the white pickup arrived and I was out shoveling that snow from last night.... He pulled up along my driveway and asked if I was the guy with the leak.... And then in the next breath before I could answer, he says "I can smell it from here." Must have a trained nose...
He grabs and ordinary plant sprayer and walks to my gas meter and begins to soak everything with soap suds... Two of the joints begin to bubble instantly... Going back to the truck, he gets out a really big pipe wrench.. What some folks would call a monkey wrench...
He tells me these unions in the line always leak when its cold and then gives it a mighty heave.. It turns about half way around like it was really loose... Then he tightened the top of the meter as well.... Finally he douses the entire pipe with suds again finding no more bubbles...
Walking back to the truck, he thanks me and starts talking on his cell phone to the dispatcher... His time must have been really valuable on such a cold day...
Again tonight we are to have one degree outside before morning, and a friend up in Iowa just told me he had minus three already... Burrrrr....
At least I'm not smelling gas any more.....
Retired Rod
Good thing you called the gas company to come out. Sounds dangerous.
ReplyDeleteWhere you are is way too cold. I'm thinking south Texas is way too cold at 30 degrees overnight. Brr is right!
It was 52 degrees at 3am here in Phoenix when I stepped out from work to get something to eat. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteMom flys out here from KC on the 20th. When we skyped yesterday she had just come in from shoveling snow - at 83yo. Said it was a dry, light snow. She also said it made it up to 10 degrees, higher than expected. I'm feeling badly about not getting her out here sooner.
Hmmm maybe we're lucky we don't have gas to the house here. Because cold it is! -25C (-13F) this morning with a high of -22C (8F). We also have a wind chill of about -32C (-26F). Looking forward to a reprieve tomorrow! Lucky you called the gas folks when you did!
ReplyDeleteGood thing that gas didn't ignite or it could have blown you all the way back to Arizona. We were in the low 70's yesterday in Congress with today's temps predicted to be closer to 80. I could feel a touch of warmth in the outside air this morning at 6 a.m.
ReplyDeleteYep, you better get that jeep headed south!
ReplyDeleteNow that is scary. Sure glad you didn't have any problems and it was easily fixable. 74 here today - just saying.
ReplyDeleteSure glad you're not a smoker who goes outside for a cigarette, Rod. That sounds pretty scary. I think the gas company might want to invest a few bucks in better connections - ones that stay tight in all weather!
ReplyDeleteWow Rod, at least it was an easy fix! It was -15 here last night before the wind chill, Monday it's going to hit more than -20... just getting started! :)
ReplyDeleteKeep warm my friend, 10m isn't exactly open but any time you're open for a QSO let me know!
Erik
Natural gas is lighter than air and floats away, unlike propane which is heaver and collects in low places. Was the gas leak on your side of the meter? Perhaps you need a lost gas refund.
ReplyDeleteOur meter in Alaska lives in - 35 degrees to + 80 degrees and appears to never leak.
It is a all electric Cabana here in Florida and we got a cold snap last night, it is 48 degrees at 1:30 PM. Feels great!
The leak was on the Gas company's side of the meter....... thank goodness.. I made a comment about loosing gas but the guy acted like it was no big deal.. I bet the bean counters think its a big deal...... LOL
Deletebitter cold in st louis too and going to get worse, gonna be a long missouri winter
ReplyDeleteI would vote: it's going to be a "long lousy" winter.....for everyone.
ReplyDeleteSchools in MN have been canceled on Monday due to the frigid cold-waiting to see what IA schools do! I thought I smelled gas last Christmas when I was at your home-it was frigid cold then too.
ReplyDelete