DIY, House Flipping, Remodel Hazards

[hillbilly1]

Over the years there have been several homes in my area destroyed by gas leaks in the street lines. The gas finds underground paths to enter structures. The older orange plastic gas piping PG&E was using for years had been developing leaks. I can't remember the name of the piping but all of it had to be replaced with the current poly piping they are using now.

Probably 20 years ago a contractor was horizontal boring in the street for communications (fiber) lines. They hit a gas line. Fire department and gas utility were onsite evaluating the situation when a nearby house exploded into toothpicks. The gas had found its way into the home. Luckily no one was home at the time.

We had that happen in Atlanta, Georgia about the same time. They bored through a gas line and a sewer line. Gas went into a couple of houses, and they blew up. Luckily, nobody was home at the time. I knew the contractor, he went out of business not too long after that.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I see Chicago holds the title for this contest, after destroying several blocks in 1992 with a broken distribution-pressure regulator.

No gas alarms, electrical-service shutdowns, or residential EMT could prevent, nor provide warning for this event.

The only people protected were in newer gentrified developments, with the pressure regulators at each gas meter.

I think that there was a worse one in a small Ohio town, but not sure...just seem to recall reading about it in one of the fire service magazines.

 

[GoldDigger]

The underground infrastructure of gas piping in many older cities is in pretty bad shape. At least around here. Many older cities operate their old low-pressure lines at 6"WC which is barely enough pressure. The reason as I have been told by gas company employees is if they turn up the pressure they "give away a lot of free gas" In other words they leak.

In our area at least with new construction, they no longer allow an underground gas pipe to penetrate the building foundation and use an inside gas meter. The gas line uses an outside meter where the gas must rise up to the meter. Apparently when digging gas lines they have hit some underground gas lines and the gas can follow the outside of the pipe into the building. This can't happen with an above ground meter.

One of the ways of "repairing" or replacing the gas line from the main to the house is to thread new plastic pipe through the old pipe. That leaves the additional space inside the original pipe as a way of carrying any below ground leaked gas toward or into the house.

 

[GoldDigger]

I think that there was a worse one in a small Ohio town, but not sure...just seem to recall reading about it in one of the fire service magazines.

The 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA was pretty big too. 70 houses.
The utility was found guilty of a slew of design, construction and inspection problems that put a defectively welded pipe in an area which, because of excessive bends, could not be reached by their internal inspection equipment. I believe there was an excessive pressure issue too.

 

[mtnelect]

In California they are working on eliminating gas appliances ... the Hollywood chef's want an exception so they can continue pleasing the movie stars at their high-priced restaurants.

As a side note ... we just had a 4.6 earthquake in South Pasadena, which jolted everyone to now buy earthquake supplies at The Home Depot. I think their stock will go up for a while, good time to buy until the next one.

 

[ramsy]

The 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA was pretty big

Just checked my neighborhood for gas lines. They only show the larger transmission, and distribution lines on the maps.

The pipes that branch off the distribution lines are not shown. I'm sure when those fail, they can go the same way the houses do.

 

[ramsy]

we just had a 4.6 earthquake in South Pasadena

All week the earthquake warning app on my phone has shown several 7.0+ events off the coast of Japan, and the Philippine islands. Luckily those areas didn't see the typical tsunami that follow these events.

Natural disasters in the Los Angeles basin are mild in comparison to everyone else. Our typical mud slides that follow wild fires of cliff-side communities, or bordering un-managed easements, are usually isolated areas developed by those who can re-build bigger & better.

Until the exploding homes start igniting their neighbors, it seems like small fires in mobile home parks are more a risk for spreading thru the entire park, and mixing with the track home developments across the narrow streets.

 

[mtnelect]

All week the earthquake warning app on my phone has shown several 7.0+ events off the coast of Japan, and the Philippine islands. Luckily those areas didn't see the typical tsunami that follow these events.

Natural disasters in the Los Angeles basin are mild in comparison to everyone else. Our typical mud slides that follow wild fires of cliff-side communities, or bordering un-managed easements, are usually isolated areas developed by those who can re-build bigger & better.

Until the exploding homes start igniting their neighbors, it seems like small fires in mobile home parks are more a risk for spreading thru the entire park, and mixing with the track home developments across the narrow streets.

Now we have multimillion dollar homes in Pacific Palisades becoming "Beachfront Properties".

 

[AC\DC]

In California they are working on eliminating gas appliances ... the Hollywood chef's want an exception so they can continue pleasing the movie stars at their high-priced restaurants.

As a side note ... we just had a 4.6 earthquake in South Pasadena, which jolted everyone to now buy earthquake supplies at The Home Depot. I think their stock will go up for a while, good time to buy until the next one.

lets put even more strain on the electrical grid.