Broken Gas Meter?

Hey all I noticed a smell of gas near my meter outside my house last week,

2 days later the meter reader came by on his regular rounds, and so I asked him if that was cause for any concern his reply was no, this was normal, that the meter was "breathing" the same way the tank on my car would breathe, ( you take the cap off, and it hisses) well, this seemed to make sense when he said it, but, 10 seconds after he left, I'm scratching my head, thinking that it makes no sense at all. why should the system "breathe" so. who's crazy here, me or the meter reader?

Dave

Reply to
zephyr
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Call your gas company, and tell/ask them. Now- really.

Makes no matter what we think; this is your safety issue.

J
Reply to
barry

Neither of you are crazy. The meter reader has a set amount of meters to read in one day, and he was trying to get away as quickly as possible. Call your gas company right away.

Reply to
Bob

the reader. call the gas company and they'll be out there in a very short while. gas explosions tend to make the news.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

It was explained to me that gas meters do on occasion allow a small release of gas. However, that was told to me by the guy who just turned off my gas and red tagged my meter due to a real leak. He had come around because a neighbor complained about smelling gas. It turns out mine was a minor leak, but still a leak, and the problem leak was under the deck of a home behind me. He just happened to find mine in the process.

I might add that they found a very small leak at the regulator in my stove as well. That was easy for me to fix. Those sensors they use are more sensitive than my nose, even when it is not hay fever season.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Joseph Meehan wrote: ...

I forgot to note. I would also agree that the gas company should be called.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

agreed. call them now - there's usually an emergency number that you should use. If you do call the customer service line, you will likely be told to hang up and call the emergency number immediately. Meters do indeed puff an occasional bit of gas out the vent, but it's a pretty small amount and you should err on the side of caution here and let the gas company (not the meter reader) tell you if it's a problem or not.

Reply to
louie

Thanks everyone,

I did call the company, and they sent a guy with in 30 minutes there was a leak, a set screw used for testing pressure was loose. I didn't even look closely at it, or I could have fixed that myself. no leaks anymore. :)

Dave

Reply to
zephyr

You may be crazy, but not about asking this question. Regulators to have vents on them and on occasion, they will emit a little gas. This sometimes happens after an appliance is shut down and the line overpressures for a few seconds. Check on it and call the gas company to be sure.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Does this mean that when someone farts their butt is breathing? A rather "Frightening Thought !!!"

Reply to
nobeans

Only if they normally talk out their ass.

Reply to
Bob

Washington DC must really stink something bad !!!!

Reply to
MC

posted for all of us... I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

Their breath smells the same...

Reply to
Tekkie®

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