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October 27, 2009
Gas Leak
I had an energy audit done yesterday and as part of that they have to check boiler, gas lines, stove, etc for CO, incomplete combustion, and gas leaks. They found two small gas leaks, one at the main shutoff valve, and one at a joint. Both of these are before the meter.
If you put your nose right up to the main valve, you can smell it a bit, the other you can't smell at all. There is no smell at all in the enclosed room where these leaks are so they are tiny. For all I know they've been leaking for twenty years.
I know I should call NG and get them taken care of but I'm worried about my service being shut off for some amount of time. Anyone have experience with a similar situation?
Comments
Call a plumber and they will fix it on the spot.
Posted by: Rick at October 27, 2009 7:43 AM
Denton, if you call Nat Grid they will shut you off and it will be a nightmare.
It never goes any other way. And they won't fix it. They will tell you to call a plumber, anyway. I trust the guys that put your boiler in know what they're doing? I would call them, or if I can help you, let me know.
Posted by: Master Plvmber at October 27, 2009 8:04 AM
OK, I was told that since the leaks are before the meter, it's NG's responsibility. Is that true? If not I'll call a plumber. I know a good one -)
Posted by: denton at October 27, 2009 8:16 AM
I know this is slightly off topic, but a friend of mine just had a similar problem and the utility company contractor wouldn't fix the problem until he remove a few feet of near by asbestos pipe insulation they said was friable. They required air monitoring before and after...Cost him more than 5 K.
Posted by: IMBY at October 27, 2009 8:17 AM
Strange.
I had an independent engineer come out to the house about 3 years ago just to give us a breakdown how the house was holding up (110 frame house) he found 3 small gas leaks in varrious places around the boiler and pipes and 1 around the meter, he suggested I call Keyspan asap and they would come out. Sure enough, they came within a few hours and the man was really nice and fixed each hole or leak, I think I was charged $250 which was billed to me. - perhaps my leaks weren't as bad
Posted by: gemini10 at October 27, 2009 8:45 AM
Denton, it's not the meter, it's to the service valve that you're responsible for.
Posted by: Master Plvmber at October 27, 2009 9:16 AM
Call your plumber. That way your leak(s) will be fixed, and you're sure to keep your service uninterrupted. National Grid's not going to fix it for free; you're going to pay for a fix either way.
Posted by: vinca at October 27, 2009 11:07 AM
Since you mentioned it, can you tell us how the energy audit went, whether you found it useful/good value, and whether you would recommend the auditors you used? Did they use one of those infrared cameras? Winter's coming....
Posted by: slopenick at October 27, 2009 11:16 AM
Wow, maybe I got lucky. I had a small gas leak in the pipe right below the meter and called National Grid's emergency number. The service tech came out half an hour later, located the leak and fixed it - total repair time (and time without gas) was maybe an hour. And there was no charge on my gas bill, then or later. This was two years ago.
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 27, 2009 11:42 AM
Call a plumber, NOT the gas company!!! Years ago (in the B.U.G. years), we made the mistake of calling Brooklyn Union; they came, confirmed that yes, we had a leak, turned off our service, and slapped big humiliating red warning stickers all over the house (that said something like "Idiots With Leaky Gas Live Here!") It was a freezing weekend and we had to go days without heat trying to scare up a plumber, who of course said, "Whoa! Never call da gas company! They'll lock ya meter!"
Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at October 27, 2009 11:48 AM
Denton - I agree, don't ask Nat'l Grid, just get a plumber. NG will turn off svc, post those notices AND won't restore service until you've had an inspection.
Posted by: Arkady at October 27, 2009 1:37 PM
I agree; get a plumber. It is really not such a big deal; once I had Hlad plumbing down to check a few things out and they checked the pipes, found a tiny area near the meter and applied some kind of plastic goop which hardens to cover up the leak. Don't freak out, just call a plumber right away.
Posted by: donatella at October 27, 2009 1:49 PM
Thanks all. Plumber it is. Slopenick, I'll be back later.
Posted by: denton at October 27, 2009 2:47 PM
Slopenick, it went OK. They did have one of those infrared cameras. They de-pressurized the building to test heat loss. No surprises. Corners of the building showed heat loss. Bottoms of the windows ditto. Front and back doors ditto. My main problem is a skylite, I'll have to post that soon. The guys were great, but one had just started his biz, he was good but I think someone with a lot more years as a contractor or something may have been better. But well worth the $350 I paid him.
Posted by: denton at October 27, 2009 6:53 PM
Interesting, thanks denton. I'd bet my skylight is a major heat waster as well.
Posted by: slopenick at October 28, 2009 9:59 AM
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