Gas Piping Price Question and Sad Story

Ya I forget you need to get a permit to replace your water heater.....Plus a permit to park your car in front of your house.

 

We typically run 3/4” black iron from meter to the appliance drop. U can reduce to 1/2” with a supply line valve with in 6’ of the appliance to meet national gas code. Also run a drop from the appliance control with a dirt or sediment drop at each appliance . U can use a manufactured flex line to tie the 2 together. I’m guessing she received a hazard tag indicating a leak on the customer piping. The company isn’t making money if the meter isn’t spinning and don’t typically shut it off unless there is a real concern. If u can turn a wrench the job dosent look to bad from the pics I’ve seen regarding accessibility etc. but no way $4k worth of work.

 

I'm too far away to get it done for her and if I blew up the house, I couldn't live with myself.

 

Been there, done that! Gas Company guy turned the gas off at my furnace ( only gas appliance in the house) when the fan wouldn’t kick on after he turned the gas on and relit the furnace pilot light. I had it turned back on before he got out of the driveway.

 

Last month:
https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1413010

 

...not sure what got the "gas is scary" ball rolling, but now that every municipality is getting on board the "green" train (no gas) by 2034 or whatever year in your area, prices for inside gas service have gotten pricey, requiring plumbers with a gas certification and inspection. As mentioned above, that extra skill level doesn't necessarily translate to better, safer work. A few years ago, MIL's house had natural gas service, so we had gas logs installed in fireplace as a selling checkoff. Certified plumber left flexline nut loose. Later, we put in another real estate checkoff, a stainless steel gas stove that I could've plumbed with flex in about an hour, but cost $1500, and that was knowing plumber. Finally, last year we considered replacing woodstove with propane (gettin' old, clicking remote easier than splitting wood). Estimate for max 6' flex from 100 gal tank outside at chimney was, again, $1500. Total install for a $5K gas "woodstove" would be north of $10K. We kept woodstove...

 

I don't F around with gas...


https://abcnews.go.com/US/plum-pennsylvania-house-explosion/story?id=102223890

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/plum-house-explosion-originated-inside/

 

I agree with the above post. A good friend bought a condo in Norfolk, MA. The contractor was in the process of building another pair of units across the street. The son of the Project manager walked down into the cellar of the new unit. He was lighting a torch when the unit exploded, killing him instantly and distributing construction materials for nearly 300 feet. It turned out that the propane company had not put the smelly stuff in the gas. Most of us know that pure Propane is odorless, and a chemical is added to create the smell.
In my case, the only Propane that I have is a whole-house standby generator. When the contractor installed it, I insisted that the tank be lower then the generator and my house, as Propane is heavier then air.

 

...I've been following that story, waiting for a non-media-driven official cause analysis. So far, the "500 gallon propane bomb in the yard" still holds sway, and the focus is still on tank leaking into house. IMO, leak more likely started in basement, based on explosion pattern. An inside cause will be a lot harder to find with extent of damage. With propane heavier than air, appears leak was in basement , house filled from bottom up, and furnace or HWH came on. I hope they can arrive at the cause, because one firefighter died and 10 injured. There need to be procedural changes in way emergency personnel handle natural gas/propane calls, like ability to easily shut off service at curb/tank, and maybe even robotic fans that can break windows to clear gas from buildings...

 

I have a friend who was on job site here in the PNW where a stupid foreman chose to improperly move a propane tank with a fork lift.

The fork hit the plug on the bottom of the tank and it emptied onto an active construction site. Some people were working in trenches.

Miraculously I don't think anyone died. but a lot serious injuries and permanent ear damage. This was outside!

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/5-burned-in-explosion-at-treatment-plant-site/

 

Another house explosion in my area this morning...

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/cre...crescent-township/WPWUMVVZ5RCQ5N2NRIRRI54J2M/

 

At least, if something happens to her or her house, we have someone to sue. LOL (dark humor)

 

The line is in but LG&E hasn't showed back up, which means the plumbers are standing around at $200/hr doing nothing.

 

The local news just updated the Sterling blast. Authorities have placed limits on the gas supplier. They can only fill customers tanks that are empty or near empty.

 

Yikes!

 

$4,479.75 all totaled. DAMN!

 

Man, it spends fast these days...

 

It gets worse! The furnace wouldn't kick on, but it was warm enough they didn't wait for it to blow hot air. Now, she has an HVAC guy there and he says they likely didn't turn off a valve and blew the valve, as foreshadowed by 2dtrak.

The HVAC guy thinks he can show they blew it since he says he has seen this a lot. Hopefully, they'll be forced to eat that out of their $4,479.75!

 

Here's hoping for you, Greg. What a cluster.....

 

Yeah iirc I had the tool for turning gas on and off at street when I lived in Joisy.