So right behind my house I hear this loud hissing sound. I am expecting a delivery and see the Fed Ex truck stop and the guys get out. Then they leave. So I open the back door to see what the sound is. Sounds like maybe someone is sand blasting. I walk back to the alley behind my garage where the noise is really loud and I see the gas main snapped. Holy ****! So I run back in and call 911. That was about an hour ago. I don't know what the hell they are doing. Fire truck is here, Alley is blocked off. I was going to go tell the cop that I saw the Fed Ex truck but I didn't see them do it, but he was already getting some kind of ticket. I asked the cop if he thought it might ignite and he didn't seem too worried. Easy for him, it's not his hot rods and bike at ground zero!
Holy ****! Hope they get that ****er turned off, there was a blast in Africa today from a pipline that killed about 150 people! Stay safe, cars can be replaced!
wild....here we had a small hissing leak in the Building sat work and they made us shut the place down for 2 hours....strange that thye didn't seem worried....
Just spoke to the FD captain. He said too said there was no danger. Nicor is digging up the alley now to get to some shut off valve... that is under the alley... I don't get it either. There was a house in the next town about 9 years ago that blew up from a gas leak. I guess cause it is outside. But still. It is still a flammable gas.
Chad, Gas lines that feed houses and such are high pressure. When they are ruptured the gas comes out at such pressure and concentration that ignition is very difficult. When the gas difusses the air to gas ratio won't allow combustion. They can cause fire but it's not that common. The house that exploded had all the right element: Correct concentration of gas to air, containment, and an ignition source. Those elements lead to an explosion. We had a house explode here in Aurora a few years back. I drove by and there was nothing left. If the gas had not been contained by the house it most likely would have difussed and not ignited at all.
gas can only explode at a concentration between 5 and 15% without an open flame or spark you are pretty safe, you could even walk up with a lit cigarette and it wouldn't be a problem because they don't burn hot enough to ignite natural gas.
A house 6 blocks from mine blew up a few months ago when the old lady's son came over and opened the door. The static from the door rubbing on the carpet cause the explosion, killed both inside. The son that caused it was able to crawl away with serious burns. We were 6 blocks away and it felt and sounded like someone drove through my living room. Good not to mess around with that stuff, if you smell it, call it in. Mootz
I used to install underground electrical services. It was not uncommon for us to break a gas line that was unmarked or improperly marked. When the lines are made of poly, you just fold it over (lines up to about 1.5") or put a clamp on it that pinches it down (on lines up to about 4"). Spraying water in the area reduces static discharge. Other than that, you might want an oxygen mask to get in close to a blowing line. In any case, it's not a hard fix and danger is fairly low with the right people on site.
but if you get close to it static electricity could ignite it ,but with that pressure the bottom of the flame would be above you head...use to work for the gas co. another tid bit if you do indeed have the right mixture a cigarette is not hot enough to ignite it, but as you draw on it the temp is enough,, a spark no matter how small will ignite it thats why they say never turn on a lite switch if you smell gas sorry ot but could help............flyn
Natural gas blowing free outside is not as dangerous as gas leaking inside a residence. Natural gas is lighter than air and will dissipate quite fast.The smell from it is mercaptan ,which alerts you to the leak well before it becomes high enough concentration to ignite. That said , any gas leak has the potential for disaster. If any of the gas migrates inside there is the potential for explosion when the concentration reaches the explosive limits(5-15%). If you smell gas in your house ,open the windows and leave. Do not turn on or turn off the lights as an electrical arc can be an ignition source. Call 911 and let the fire dept and gas co. deal with it . I know of lots of guys who have dug up gas lines and crimped them to stop the leak. The problem with Joe average doing this is he puts himself in harms way by being in a gas cloud and possibly igniting the gas with a static spark from the plastic line. Most of the time there would be no problem ,but it just takes the right conditions and it's Joe Flambeau!...Burns are not pretty and are probably the most painful way to die. Just a few hints from a guy who's been to a few gas leaks..
Wow... WHen I was a kid I once witnessed a neighbor build a bonfire ontop of a plastic gas line. I witnessed this from about a mile away. There was a nice explosion.
I had an addition built on my house 20 yrs ago...the gas company had to cut service so they could dig the foundation...they came in with a back hoe and found the pipe...took a pipe cutter to it, and then put a plug on it...all the time the gas was blowing free. Not a job I want!
years ago I was working in my shop and heard and felt a major blast ran out side and there were large pieces still going up about two blocks away. found out later they were cinder blocks some were in the street a block away. a bakery blew up with nine workers in the building and no fatalities including the owner that was checking for a gas leak with a match
Checking for a gas leak with a match; sounds like a candidate for a Darwin Award! Seems the official judges have a very difficult time deciding the winner; too many choices in today's world.
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