[SEL] Natural Gas Leak Repair O.T.

[FRM8198 at aol.com]

Hi List,
Yesterday, our local gas company were doing their periodic gas leak  checks.  
They found the line going to our house was leaking.  We had a  similar 
problem about ten ago.  In a matter of minutes, a repair crew  arrived at my home.  
They hooked up an electronic sniffer and located where  the line was located 
on my property and in the street.  I was envisioning a  trencher coming to dig 
up the leaking line.  However, I was wrong.  
The house meter was disconnected and a temporary gas supply  was connected to 
provide gas while they were working to get rid of the leak.  The first thing 
after they dug up the area (about 3' x 3' x3') where  my gas line interfaced 
with the street main was to heat the house line and pinch  it with a hydraulic 
snubber.  This action cutoff gas flow to the  house.  Next, the house line was 
cut about 6" from the pinched area.   Then, the end of pipe connecting to the 
main was gas welded.  A  modified valve was then gas welded to the gas main.  
Somehow, the  workers were able to insert a plastic line into the existing 
house  gas line.  This new line was sealed at the meter interface and  connected 
to the modified valve.  Then, this new line along with  the modified valve 
was pressurized to leak check the new plastic line,  meter interface, and new 
welded joint.   Since the plastic line  broke the electrical continuity between 
the gas main and the house line, a  ground wire was installed from the old 
metal line and the gas main.  The  final tie in to the gas main was made through 
the modified valve.  A  cutting tool was inserted into the modified valve to 
drill through the welded  joint to allow gas to flow through the new line.  All 
this work was done on  a pressurized system.
Watching the gas personnel do this repair, reminded of a similar  incident 
that happen many years ago when my grandfather had city water  service 
installed.  I recall that a similar device was used to hook up the  service line to the 
water main.  Instead of a welded valve,  a saddle valve was installed on the 
water main in the street.  Then,  the workers drilled into the water main 
through the valve body.  After  penetrating the water main the drill was removed 
and the valve was closed.    

Francis Maciel
Santa Maria, CA