My gas is out, and it's freezing! (1 Viewer)

[Steve Tannehill]

When I got home from work this evening, my house was unusually cold. It didn't bother me until I realized that the furnaces were not cycling.

So I go up into the attic to see if the pilot lights had gone out. Lo and behold, my furnaces have an electric ignition (I did not know this). But they don't seem to be getting any gas. Odd.

It eventually dawns on me to try the range-top. It click, click, clicks...but no gas ignites.

A call to the gas company yields news of a four-city gas outage. They are working on it, and they promise a door-to-door visit from the repairman when the repair is done.

It doesn't help that we will be below freezing outside...and that it is barely above 60 inside.

Time to bundle up!

- Steve

 

[Carl Johnson]

Some people live like that on purpose Steve. A month or so ago I turned the heat off to see how cold it would get and the thermostat has been hanging just below 65 ever since. I figure I'll get my share of heat in a few months when its 90 degreees outside and I'm too cheap to turn on the AC..........

 

[Clinton McClure]

I feel your pain Steve. :frowning: I was there last year when I lost power for a week during an ice storm. I think the high temp during that week was around 25°F with lows in the low teens.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Well, it's 60 in my house, and the gas is still out.

The low room temperature at night does not bother me. It's the cold shower in preparation for work that has me worried! At least I can go to work and have warmth.

I've turned off the furnaces so they are not cycling on needlessly, and turned off the gas to the water heater so that little bit of gas from the pilot light does not accumulate...that is, assuming that the gas service gets restored sometime today.

Brrr...

- Steve

 

[Michael*K]

My gas was out last year for about 12 hours and I know it's a bitch. Fortunately, I've got other options when it comes to taking a shower...the health club, a friend's house etc. If I had to take a cold one with no heat afterwards I'm not sure what I'd do. My main concern at the time---since the temps were in the teens--was that my pipes would freeze. Left a couple faucets to trickle and fortunately wound up with no burst pipes. As for the other resisents of the house (the dogs) I don't think they mind when the furnace is out, but they're pretty pissed if the A/C is out during the summer.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Steve, I take it you have no fireplace? When the heat goes off here, we all huddle 'round the hearth. Fortunately it hasn't happened yet this winter.

M.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Firing up the fireplace is next on the agenda. It was so late last night, that I just went on to bed, dressed warmly, and covered up. But it's prime-time, the gas is STILL not on, and it's getting too damned cold.

This sucks!

- Steve

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Steve don't you live in Texas? I thought it was supposed to be hot there. At least it has been the few hours I've been there on plane layovers. Frankly any area as hot as I experienced I figured would be roped off as uninhabitable by man

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Texas gets cold, too. We even got good, thick, wet snow a couple of days ago. It's gone now, of course.

They restored the gas main last night, then came round throughout the day to restore service to the people who were at home, and to shut off the gas at the meters for the people who were not. That way, they could reset the furnaces (which I didn't even know was needed) and light any stray pilot lights in a controlled fashion.

I could have done it. It's not like I would do something stupid, like leave the flue closed when starting the fireplace and setting off the LOUD smoke alarms. No, I would never do that.

Sigh.

The guy came a couple of hours ago and got things running. He said he had been working 40 hours straight, and he was slurring his words a little. And i thought my job sucked.

- Steve

 

[John Spencer]

Man, I read that thread title and thought to myself "Boy, you wouldn't think an admin would be that disgusting!"

Now, I'm just embarrassed!:b

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Admin? What admin?

- Steve

 

[Jeff Blair]

I don't know where you are Steve, but here in Austin, about the only thing we got this winter was some rain. No ice for us. The bad thing is every time it rains here, it seams like my power goes out. I always have candles ready when it rains here. Usally it is back on by the morning, but not always. The good thing is, in my new building at work, I can take a shower if I need to. But, it is not fun getting up at 6:00am with no power. My poor toes.