21,000 residents still without gas service

[harvey007]

Source: KOB TV

The National Guard has been dispatched to Espanola, Taos, and the north central pueblos, where less than 10 percent of customers have gas. Relighting will continue throughout the area Monday and Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1960944.shtml?cat=516

[James48]

1. People don't know how to light their own pilot lights?

What has the world come to???



http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-_Ix5hVaeQ_bziDXftEOHp62C--9UMF4yMuS9TjrPG0ZFwZVU

[harvey007]

2. Is it a safety issue or liability issue?

Or learned helplessness?

Here's what the Taos News says:

http://www.taosnews.com/

[NutmegYankee]

3. Many hot water heaters make it easy.

You just turn the knob to the light position, it lights, and you turn it back to the appropriate temperature. There is a thermopile (flame sensor) to prevent gas from escaping if the pilot is out.

I can understand the problem though - every meter had to be shut in order to pressurize the main supply headers, and then they have to slowly go out, open the meters, and relight the pilots. What a mess!

We in New England have the opposite problem. Our power grid is fine in winter (barring physical destruction) but if a nasty summer heat wave rolls in (>85 F), we can slam the grid with AC use. That is of course if you have AC - which I do not.

[Ex Lurker]

7. My area had a similar thing happen a few years ago

the gas company had to light the pilots themselves. If nobody was home when they came to turn the gas on, they'd wait until somebody was there before so they could get in the house and light them. Some kind of safety precaution. Seemed overboard to me, but that was their policy.

[abqmufc]

11. You've obviously never been to NM...

Most of the state is using "technology" that is 20 years old. Most areas impacted would be deemed a 3rd world country by UN standards. It isn't like we can all go out and buy new things....

[NutmegYankee]

15. You have to have some really awesome water heaters....

If they are 20 years old and older. This shutoff tech has been around for over 40 years.

[zeemike]

4. here a great many elderly in those places.

And I do suspect there is liability involved....but I light my own every year myself....and I have matches at the ready just as soon as they send me some gas...it has been a bitch with no heat and no way to cook except a crock pot.

[NutmegYankee]

5. Did your pipes make it through ok?

I know how much it sucks to have no heat - I had my furnace fail in winter and it was a shitty few days waiting for the part.

[zeemike]

8. Nope

but not all of them....I had water to the tub so I was still OK as long as I kept a strong drip.
But fortunately I had 2 electric heaters that kept me fairly comfortable...one for me and one for the pipes.

[pam4water]

6. Wow

[TygrBright]

9. It's not just pilot lights.

It's not safe just to "light the pilot light" after this kind of gas outage. The gas shutoff valve has to be closed, the pipes have to be bled to eliminate air pockets, etc., and THEN you can light the pilot light. This is not an "average homeowner DIY" procedure.

Experienced gas company service techs need to do the job for most people. It takes TIME to get to every household, especially here in northern NM where the houses are often scattered up arroyos and along dirt roads.

Everyone knew this would be a long operation when the outages first occurred, that's why it was declared a disaster.

informatively,
Bright

[Dave From Canada]

10. I guess that natural gas drilling moratorium in New Mexico wasn't such a great idea.

Bad call Bill Richardson.

[abqmufc]

12. SUPER BOWL IS OVER TEXAS MAGICALLY FIXES THE PROBLEM

Please there was no shortage...Texas didn't want folks in Dallas to freeze thus they held back our shipments. Those who know the history between New Mexico and Texas are not laughing at this statement.

[LanternWaste]

13. TX had rolling blackouts also.

TX had a series of rolling blackouts throughout the entire state also.

[abqmufc]

14. Same reason different state.