Lets see we got a hurricane, now wacky gas explosions in an unexpected place and time, what is next. As the cajuns say Gri Gri happens in threes.

Dean glad you and family are hopefully okay. Typically pressures on gas lines is no more than 2 to 5 psi, to get a spike like that to cause that many widespread occurrences is a huge failure in the system. Should not of happened.

We’re fine thank-you. We spent the night in our home even though residents with Columbia Gas service were advised to to evacuate their homes. My gas is still shut off at the feed into my house and I’ll be taking a cold shower this morning.

“Should not have happened.” goes without saying...





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Glad to hear it. They say cold showers are healthier for you anyway. You don't use as much water, healthier for your skin, and all that shivering helps you lose weight. Oh if you weren't awake before, you will be.

Our office handled two gas explosion cases about 10 years ago and it killed any desire I had to own a gas stove. The people injured would have been better off dying.

Thanks for the encouraging words Mills...:rotf:





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Didn't mean to be too negative. Glad you are ok. Consider going electric

Electric and oil are a lot easier to do in the more southern climes but here in the Northeast where we like to keep our homes somewhat comfortable in the colder monthe (Oct -April) natural gas is far more wallet-friendly.





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Agree heat pumps just don't work well when it gets to around freezing and when the heat strips have to kick in. Very inefficient and costly and essentially hot coil filament. If you get prolonged days that hover at freezing and below and house not insulated well, vast majority aren't, and your utility bill can become ludicrous but quick. Btw heat pumps do work very well in South. Since live in Atlanta vast majority of people have dual systems and they work very well.

You just have to be smart about natural gas but it is a great efficient and economical resource. There is risk with everything. Everytime you get in a car to drive around the corner to get a gallon of milk your more likely to be killed or maimed then have a natural gas explosion. I dare say for what happened in Deans area there will be some gross negligence uncovered, there is no way this ends well for Columbia.

.....and every time I shoot one of those dangerous Damascus barreled old guns.





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I am very much looking forward to hearing the reason why the gas pressure spiked and of where exactly the system failures in the houses were from the over pressure. I would think that the weakest point in a gas system would be in the thin brass pressure tubes in gauges, and especially in gauges for pressure that low, but, having never lived in a house with gas, don't even know if there are system gauges in the houses. Or perhaps the pressure spike blew out pilot lights? I'm not getting this whole thing just yet.