Have you ever reported a gas leak?

[southernm]

UPDATE: I'm not crazy! The company was working on a substation and put in too much of the stuff that makes it smell in the system. Apparently they've worked on it all afternoon and there are tons of trucks in the area. Best part? The technician was the nicest LADY ever! We chatted for a bit and she checked my meter just in case!

 

Pulling into our neighborhood tonight, the car was overwhelmed with the smell of gas. I rolled down the windows and it was definetly outside. As I got closer to my house, it disapaited some but there were still "pockets" of it if I walked around the house. I called and reported it but feel silly. What if it wasn't gas but something else? They said I'd hear something within an hour and its been 30 min. I'm just wondering if it could be something else.

Edited September 27, 2012 by southernm

[Paintedlady]

Yes, we had an outside gas leak on our street that took them three years to find and fix. Many neighbors reported it before they finally came and took care of it. The city ended up having to dig trenches all down our street and replacing all of the pipes because they never could find the exact spot where the leak was. I would definitely call if you suspect there's a leak.

[southernm]

I don't know why I feel weird about calling. It was SO strong I have to think I'm not the only one. We do live near a landfill and they could have been burning stuff but I've never smelt anything as strong as this.

[Catwoman]

YOU WERE RIGHT TO CALL.

 

The gas company WANTS you to call! They would much rather answer a bunch of false alarms than have to deal with the aftermath of what happens when no one calls and it's a real leak.

 

Gas leaks can lead to tremendous tragedy -- you did the right thing!

[southernm]

ALWAYS CALL.

 

The gas company WANTS you to call! They would much rather answer a bunch of false alarms than have to deal with the aftermath of what happens when no one calls and it's a real leak.

 

Gas leaks can lead to tremendous tragedy -- CALL!!!

 

Thank you! That makes me feel better. Even the kids were walking in the yard and could smell pockets of it.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I'll share my "turned out to be nothing" story so youre not alone in reporting.

 

Every once in a while i would get a whiff of gas. One day the smell wouldnt go away so i called. The guy from the gas company was here within an hour. My vent something or other pipe is supposed to be ran up to the roof. Mine is not, so anytime i was outside when the hot water heater kicked on, the gas smell just floated right to the front of the house.

 

My ll was supposed to fix it, but never did, and the gas company never followed up.

 

When we first moved here, maybe 2 months in, i was woken by a crazy string gas smell. I went outside to see my neighbor pacing in the street, and 2 minutes later the fire dept was here. Neighbor was digging with a small shovel (within what is supposed to be safe) and hit a pipe. The gas company was here a few hours later to fix everything.

[laundrycrisis]

You should definitely call it in. Hydrocarbons and methyl mercaptan are not healthy to breathe. If nobody calls, they won't know about the leak.

[southernm]

Well it's been an hour and I haven't heard a thing. I would walk around outside again but it's dark, dh is out of town, and I'm a big chicken lol!

[southernm]

Scratch that. Two gas trucks out front. Oh goodness.

 

ETA update in first post, I'm not crazy lol!

Edited September 27, 2012 by southernm

Pulling into our neighborhood tonight, the car was overwhelmed with the smell of gas. I rolled down the windows and it was definetly outside. As I got closer to my house, it disapaited some but there were still "pockets" of it if I walked around the house. I called and reported it but feel silly. What if it wasn't gas but something else? They said I'd hear something within an hour and its been 30 min. I'm just wondering if it could be something else.

 

Maybe once every couple of years, we read about a house in our area blowing up because of a gas leak.

 

Let's say you call this in, and it isn't a serious problem. Worst case: you might feel silly for an hour or so. OR, let's say it was a serious problem, and you didn't call it in, and a house blew up, and killed a family. I bet you'd feel shame the rest of your life. I know what the right choice is: it's the one you made.

[justasque]

YOU WERE RIGHT TO CALL.

The gas company WANTS you to call! ... Gas leaks can lead to tremendous tragedy -- you did the right thing!

 

Maybe once every couple of years, we read about a house in our area blowing up because of a gas leak.

 

Let's say you call this in, and it isn't a serious problem. Worst case: you might feel silly for an hour or so. OR, let's say it was a serious problem, and you didn't call it in, and a house blew up, and killed a family. I bet you'd feel shame the rest of your life. I know what the right choice is: it's the one you made.

 

:iagree::iagree: I've called in leaks before, and urged others to do so.

A house in my area blew up a few years back. No one was home, but the house had to be completely rebuilt. You did the right thing.

[brownie]

I don't think it's a big deal to call. I called once when in grad school about an odd smell in one of our research labs...they found nothing.

 

I called once about a slight odor of gas in my basement. Nobody else could smell it. The gas guys brought out their detector and indeed there was a very slight leak in my dryer line. We had to have a plumber come repair it. No big deal. Wasn't going to blow anybody up but you never know! I just have a sensitive nose :) But that's why they make it smelly! So you will know there's a problem!

 

Brownie

[Dawn in Ohio]

My dh pulled the fire alarm just recently because he smelled gas at the university where he works. So everyone had to vacate the building while they checked the situation. That made a lot of people grumpy... but it was the right thing to do.

[magnificent_baby]

YOU WERE RIGHT TO CALL.

 

The gas company WANTS you to call! They would much rather answer a bunch of false alarms than have to deal with the aftermath of what happens when no one calls and it's a real leak.

 

Gas leaks can lead to tremendous tragedy -- you did the right thing!

 

:iagree:

 

I called once and was a little embarrassed to bother them because it was later in the evening and I knew someone on call would have to come out. They were SUPER kind and went ahead and checked our furnace connections for the heck of it while they were there (didn't have anything to do with the call). They did not mind at all that it was a false alarm.

[redsquirrel]

I got talked out of calling and I sort of regretted it. Nothing bad happened, but it could have. There was an access hole in the intersection of my street. Sometimes, coming home late at night, I could swear I smelled gas outside. It was always fleeting and faint and I could never find the source. I thought it was my imagination. Then, coming home with friends I smelled it and it was a teensy bit stronger. The friend did not smell it and convinced me I was imagining things. Two weeks later I woke up to major trucks and people down the hole. I guess there was a leak and it needed to be fixed. I sort of wish I had called when I smelled it the first time. I am glad no one got hurt.

 

To be fair, the sidewalk where I smelled it was not near the access hole. It's not like I was standing on it smelling gas. I think I must have a very sensitive nose.

[Catwoman]

I'm glad you weren't crazy :tongue_smilie: and that everything turned out to be OK! :001_smile: