ltship
join:2002-08-11
Sturgeon Bay, WI
| reply to mwf
Re: And this is why
there are gas lines that are totally plastic, from the main in the street to the service connecting it to the metal riser to the meter at the facility it is serving. Here in WI you can have up to 8" mains in newer areas that are plastic (without a metal or sleeved insert).
Most states have a "One Call" facility to handle locate before you dig services. In this case, it is not the home owners responsibility to call in the locate, it is the cable company or their installers responsibility. It does not say if this was a aerial to the home, and the installer was grounding the interface box on the side of the home, or was a direct buried to the home and he was again installing a interface box that needed grounding.
It doesn't take much to punch a hole in a plastic service line to a home. Investigated allot of those type damages in my time, luckly without loss of life. |
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tmies
join:2002-10-11
Champaign, IL
| reply to alfnoid
Plastic Gas line is made of HDPE (high density polyethylene). I installed the same material for high pressure CO2 gas a couple years ago. I has a high pressure rating, and typical 5x burst rating, so it is very safe as long as it not punctured. It is naturally black, but has yellow pigment added for nat. gas id. The material with flex metal liner mentioned above is for inside distribution. |
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dOoD1379
join:2005-04-20
Elk Grove, CA | reply to major marco
Underground Service Alert 1(800)227-2600 |
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malvado6
I pee on Bushes.
join:2003-09-13
00001
| reply to DMS1
said by DMS1  :said by captokita : This does beg the question as to why the installer didn't immediately close the valve at the meter. Perhaps he was too busy smoking a cigarette! That wouldn't have stopped any explosion, since he probably hit the service line which is before the meter. |
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malvado6
I pee on Bushes.
join:2003-09-13
00001 | reply to John Galt
And to clarify even.. you MUST call for a locate when doing ANY kind of digging, that includes driving groundrods.
In california, it's digalert.org |
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i1me2ao
Premium
join:2001-03-03
TEXAS
 ·Comcast
| reply to Sweet Witch
to me when i trenched yards, the company found shutoffs and called utlitity company before hand. it was called job planning. it does not take away from profit, hell it adds it. when cutting corners you receive the above..
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(insert company name)we are not responsible for defective products or could care less about your product after we have your cash.. |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| reply to rawgerz
I bet I know how the gas got inside the house. I have a funny feeling they probably had gas lines going to their stove, furnace, dryer and water heater. Maybe even to their fireplace.
Just a hunch, though  
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"I invented it, Bill made it famous." --David Bradley, the inventor of Ctrl+Alt+Del. |
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i1me2ao
Premium
join:2001-03-03
TEXAS | reply to John Galt
here in texas they will go from your house until the edge of property.
for free.. |
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Shark_615
join:2006-01-17
Pickering, ON
| reply to Corehhi
You think using a heavy material that corrodes easily, can create sparks AND carry an electric current safer then a nuetral, non-corrosive and non-conductive material that will not create sparks under any circumstances?
Scary. Not to mention that the approved piping for this sort of thing is tested and certified under very strict rules right? |
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rawgerz
In Debt we trust
Premium
join:2004-10-03
Grove City, PA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to SteveCon
said by SteveCon :A ground rod is copper plated STEEL. It's nearly impossible to drive a 5/8" diameter 100% COPPER rod more than a foot or two in most soils before it bends. Really? I found some 6-8Ft grounding rods left by Verizon on my property, I cut some in half and made stakes. Guess what, solid copper. I think they had a sticker on them that said 'Grounding rod UL certified' too. |
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John Galt
Forward, March
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
·CenturyLink
| reply to major marco
said by major marco :said by John Galt :Calling the 'underground service alert' line for your area will notify ALL of the 'utilities'...cable company included. Interesting. Where would I find that #. Google 'utility notification dig' or look in the front of your phone book or call any utility.
Easy!
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A is A |
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major marco
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA
clubs:
| reply to John Galt
said by John Galt :Calling the 'underground service alert' line for your area will notify ALL of the 'utilities'...cable company included. Interesting. Where would I find that #.
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The Toll
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John Galt
Forward, March
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
·CenturyLink
| reply to major marco
said by major marco :To further clarify - Calling "the utilities" for a matter such as this one isn't the solution. No one will come out and check anything for cable-related matters other than the cable co. Calling the 'underground service alert' line for your area will notify ALL of the 'utilities'...cable company included.
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A is A |
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Michieru2
zzz zzz zzz
Premium
join:2005-01-28
Miami, FL | reply to DMS1
Or he probably knew nothing in regards to gas and simply said "I am not touching anything". |
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major marco
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA
clubs:
| reply to John Galt
said by John Galt :said by Sweet Witch :You call the utility companies beforehand!! Just to clarify... They will only do the utility side of the meter (gas, electric, whatever). If the line is on the customer side of the meter, then the property owner is responsible for the locating. The article gives no clue as to what side was punctured...utility or customer. To further clarify - Calling "the utilities" for a matter such as this one isn't the solution. No one will come out and check anything for cable-related matters other than the cable co. And if your cable co. tech is an idiot, then you're SOL-JWF just like the 2 dead people in the article. Cable connectivity is not considered a utility by the law.
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The Toll
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Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA
| reply to Corehhi
said by Corehhi :Their using hard plastic for gas lines now? I wouldn't call that safe. So you'd rather have the rusty metal?
I'm sure that if someone was really determined to drive that ground rod in they could puncture metal pipe too.
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Early to rise, early to bed;
Makes a man healthy but socially dead. |
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backness
join:2005-07-08
K2P OW2 | reply to Corehhi
no spark, sparky |
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acid343211
Hallo lisa Aus Amerika
Premium
join:2001-08-31
Byron, GA
1 edit | reply to SteveCon
said by SteveCon :A ground rod is copper plated STEEL. It's nearly impossible to drive a 5/8" diameter 100% COPPER rod more than a foot or two in most soils before it bends. I had to ground my Dish with a 7 ft rod you can do it. not Impossible,
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Visit-fromisrael2lebanon.info/
israel uphold un 242-338 resolution |
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bogey780
join:2004-03-19
Here
| reply to SteveCon
BellSouth proper grounding specifies the equipment should be grounded to in order of importance the ground wire, ground rod, dedicated #6 ground wire set to ground bar, and the metal pipe or box. If a ground rodis placed it has to be bonded to one of the power grounding options. The telco equipment should not be on a seperate ground whatsoever from the power as the possibility of a diferential exists. |
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DMS1
join:2005-04-06
Carrollton, TX
| reply to captokita
said by captokita :Well, my guess would be, since the installer was injured as well, it happened as he was sinking the rod. When the rod pierced the gas line, it sparked and blew the thing up, since the line is attached to the house, the gas in the house went up as well.] From the article, it sounds like the installer realised what he may have done and reported it, and subsequently the gas company came to investigate. It was then that the explosion happened. This does beg the question as to why the installer didn't immediately close the valve at the meter. Perhaps he was too busy smoking a cigarette! |
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