My run in with the police... and fire dept... and utility company.

[jeeperman]

Re: My run in with the police... and fire dept... and utility company.

By the way the utility tech told me that under no circumstance do those regulators ever burp. You should never smell gas at the meter or anywhere else for that matter.

That utility tech is dead wrong.
There is a rubber membrane sandwiched between the cast aluminum halves. There is also an over pressure relief valve.
There is a vent outlet cast into the spring side of the rubber membrane.
If it should get hit with to much pressure from upstream it will vent (burb).
If the rubber membrane were to leak or rupture, it would vent continuously.
An outside regulator will have a screen in the vent outlet.
It is also pipe threaded inside so that if it were an inside installation the vent would be piped to the out-of-doors.
That is a gas industry regulation for safe installation.

 

[JRJ]

Re: My run in with the police... and fire dept... and utility company.

If I smell gas, I'll just call the gas company. Thanks for the tip.

 

[scipper77]

Re: My run in with the police... and fire dept... and utility company.

That utility tech is dead wrong.
There is a rubber membrane sandwiched between the cast aluminum halves. There is also an over pressure relief valve.
There is a vent outlet cast into the spring side of the rubber membrane.
If it should get hit with to much pressure from upstream it will vent (burb).
If the rubber membrane were to leak or rupture, it would vent continuously.
An outside regulator will have a screen in the vent outlet.
It is also pipe threaded inside so that if it were an inside installation the vent would be piped to the out-of-doors.
That is a gas industry regulation for safe installation.

I asked him if it was the type of regulator that vents if there higher outlet pressure than inlet.

My understanding is (and I'm sure from your post that you know more about this than me) that in the event of overpressurazation the membrane acts as a pressur relief valve (ruptures). The tech told me that there is a check valve (like a flapper style i think) that will shut off the gas in the event of a rupture. When the gas flow rate gets to high the valve is forced shut. He says that large generators or on demand water tanks can draw enough flow to cause the valve to shut when it shouldn't.

He did tell me that you should never smell gas at the meter however. I may have miss quoted him in saying it should never burp but I don't think I did.

 

[archcityBob]

Re: My run in with the police... and fire dept... and utility company.

My gas leak story. I used to own rental property in a college town. One day one of my tenants called that she had a gas leak. "Okay. Get outside and I'll be there in a couple of minutes." I arrive and go into the house. Check the gas line joints with a soap spray bottle I kept in my truck. The vent on the water heater seemed to be drawing good. By now the tenant is convinced there is a carbon monoxide leak. No problem. I call CIPS (the gas company). Gas man comes out. He uses his meters to check for carbon monoxide and natural gas. No leaks. Talking to the tenant we ask her why she thinks she has a gas leak.
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She tells us that every morning she throws up and her favorite foods no longer taste good. So there must be a gas leak.

The gas man and I look at each other and try to contain our laughter. He proclaims that there is no gas leak in the house and leaves. I'm not going to mention the obvious. I suggest to the girl that maybe the campus health service could offer a suggestion. Then I left.

 

[aspeck]

Re: My run in with the police... and fire dept... and utility company.

LOL!!!! Based on your story, Bob, there were 3 times when gas leaked around my wife!!!! HA!