22
Rant: I was checking for gas leaks wrong for years
I was on a call for a weird smell from a 15 year old gas dryer in a basement apartment. I had my spray bottle with the soapy water, checking the valve and the flex line like always. The tenant, an older guy who used to work in a factory, watched me for a minute and then said, 'You know, you're supposed to spray the whole fitting, not just the front.' I realized I'd only ever been hitting the visible part of the connection, not the back where the nut threads on. Sure enough, a tiny bubble formed right there. How many small leaks have I missed by being lazy? What's the one basic step you all double-check you're doing fully?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
barbarah1913h ago
Oh man, that hits home. I had a nearly identical wake-up call from a homeowner once, @kim_johnson51. I started making a mental map, like always hit the back of the shut-off valve first, then do the whole flex line nut, not just the side I can see. It's so easy to get in a hurry and miss a spot.
8
troysmith12h ago
Seems like overkill to me, @barbarah19.
6
kim_johnson5113h ago
Damn that's a good catch. Makes me wonder if there's a standard checklist you guys actually follow, or if everyone just kinda wings it with the soapy water until something goes wrong. Like, do you have a set order you hit every single joint on an appliance, or is it more about just covering the whole fitting like that guy said?
3