After a long day out on the road and in the office Melissa and I were looking forward to a quiet evening at home. As Melissa was feeding our cats Dave and Carter, I went out to get the mail. I walked out on my front porch and all I could smell was gas. I went back in the house and immediately went down to the basement to see if the smell was there as well. Luckily it wasn't. I asked Melissa to come outside to confirm my suspicions. She smelled it as well.
I called the hotline at the gas company and thirty minutes later they arrived.
The serviceman asks a few questions, goes to the basement and back out again. He probed my front yard and then came back to me and said with such a calming voice, "I've called a crew to come out and fix the problem. They'll be here in an hour or so." I asked him if we should evacuate, he said that wouldn't be necessary. So at this point I'm feeling a little easier but still not totally comfortable.
Two hours later the full crew shows up. It looked like they sent the entire gas company to my house; giant truck, backhoe, dump trucks, the works. All of them with flashing lights and lots of noise. Did I mention at this point it was 6:30 or so? The crew chief and a few of his guys come up to my door and the first words out of his mouth are "Hi, I'm the guy who's going to save your house."
Out comes the jackhammer. Before we know it my street is ripped open.
We had servicemen walking all around our house and yard. At one point I went out to check on things and one guy tells me that my lawn was saturated with gas so they had to remove all of the soil in that area and replace it with fresh loam. Not good. I must commend the workers for their incredible speed and professionalism. Aside from the initial introduction we never felt unsafe or in danger. They had things well in hand.
Six and a half hours later they were done. They had rerouted our meter to the front of the house and capped the piping and added new connections in the basement. It looks great. And as quickly as it all started they were gone without a word.
I guess the moral of the story is safety first. I'm glad to report that our family is doing well and the house is still in tact.
Here are some tips from National Grid on what to do and not to do if you smell gas:
"If you smell natural gas......
Leave the building (home or business) immediately, taking everyone with you (including pets), and leave all doors and windows open behind you. Don't re-enter the home to open doors and windows.
- use phones, computers, appliances, elevators or garage door openers
- touch electrical outlets, switches or doorbells
- smoke or use a lighter, match or other open flame
- position or operate vehicles or powered equipment where leaking natural gas may be present"
Call your local gas company or 911 from a neighbor's house!!!!
Bob Black - REALTOR
"Your Friend in Rhode Island Real Estate"
BBlack@PrudentialGammonsRealty.com
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