Roblog

We have a gas fireplace that we have never used. Being in Houston is part of the reason why, and now that we have toddlers that's another good argument against it, but mostly it's because it seems like too much work for it being so messy.

But we've smelled a small gas leak coming from the valve next to the fireplace from time to time. Somedays the smell is stronger than others, but Donna smells it much more often than I do. We even had the gas company come out a few months back to check it. They didn't find any leaks.

Well, last night, it was quite pronounced. We called the gas company and, at 10:00 PM, they came by. Their little gas detector wand started clicking. The technician said it was a small leak.

He also said we have two options:

1. He reports the leak, at which point we'd have to schedule a city inspection after repairs were made to confirm the leak has been fixed.
2. He shuts off the gas and pretends we weren't there, while we get a plumber to shut the gas off to the fireplace. Then we can call the gas company back to say we missed the technician and to come turn our gas back on.

So he shut off our gas. So we now are without our hot water heater, stove, and clothes dryer until the plumber comes out to fix it and our gas it turned back on. This should all happen today. If not, I'll be taking a very quick shower tomorrow morning!