PUC wants more ugly outdoor gas meters

**Jayfar** · 09-02-2012, 06:57 AM

Pa. gas-meter relocations have hit a residential nerve

Posted: Sun, Sep. 2, 2012, 3:01 AM
Pa. gas-meter relocations have hit a residential nerve

By Andrew Maykuth
Inquirer Staff Writer

A proposed new safety rule requiring Pennsylvania utilities to move some residential gas meters from basements to exterior walls has triggered anxiety among preservationists, who fear a proliferation of unsightly devices on urban streets.

[snip]

Press Release - PUC Adopts Proposed Rulemaking on Gas Meter Location

**the mule** · 09-04-2012, 06:00 PM

Yeah this will be terrible. It's bad enough that new houses have to have meters jutting from the facades like giant warts, but to go back and do it on existing properties is just insane. With all of the wireless meter reading technology we have it really does not make sense.

**Eames** · 09-12-2012, 02:36 PM

I keep getting robo calls from PGW to call them for an appointment, which I will do when hell freezes over.

**mixiboi** · 09-12-2012, 10:09 PM

Looks > safety

**AbortedWalrus** · 09-13-2012, 01:03 AM

Yeah, when I walk by places that do this I almost gag. It looks so awful it's unbelievable. I'd rather risk an explosion that would surely kill me as my couch is right next to my gas meter than have to look at these things.

If they're going to mandate that they be outdoors they also need to mandate some way of camouflaging them or burying them in the sidewalks and covering them with a plate. Sinking them beneath the sidewalk would be the most ideal situation if this has to be done.

**boognish** · 09-13-2012, 07:51 AM

Any actual proof that meters within the confines of one's home are considerably more prone to explosion than exterior meters?

From an anecdotal perspective, I can't think of any examples. It seems the most recent explosions that I can recall were due to construction or interior gas line leaks (which may be related to the meter?).

Just curious.

**Ho Chi Minh** · 09-13-2012, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Eames

I keep getting robo calls from PGW to call them for an appointment, which I will do when hell freezes over.

Which may happen when they show up with the curb key.

**Jayfar** · 09-13-2012, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by boognish

Any actual proof that meters within the confines of one's home are considerably more prone to explosion than exterior meters?

From an anecdotal perspective, I can't think of any examples. It seems the most recent explosions that I can recall were due to construction or interior gas line leaks (which may be related to the meter?).

Just curious.

Supposedly it's only an issue with the iron pipes, not the plastic pipe, and it's only where there is iron pipe that the regulation comes into play.

**boognish** · 09-13-2012, 09:43 AM

Iron gas pipes? Uh-oh...

I'm not anxious to have to stick one on the exterior of my home, as it would be close to our front porch and probably make a mess, but if it's a genuine safety issue, no problem.

And maybe they'd let me borrow their hammer drill for a moment so I can drill a hole for my new frost-proof silcock that's been staring at me for the last two years.

**the mule** · 09-13-2012, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by boognish

Iron gas pipes? Uh-oh...

Oh yeah: Aging pipes, deadly hazards

**thoth** · 09-13-2012, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by boognish

Any actual proof that meters within the confines of one's home are considerably more prone to explosion than exterior meters?

From an anecdotal perspective, I can't think of any examples. It seems the most recent explosions that I can recall were due to construction or interior gas line leaks (which may be related to the meter?).

Just curious.

There have been something like ~60 major incidents over the last 60 years of PGW history, mostly not at residential properties and not even all of those were necessarily life-threatening. It's not exactly dangerous having a gas meter inside your home, but they're not moving it outside because everyone is in danger right now.

It's because the new meters are designed to handle a higher pressure flow that PUC wants gas companies to start implementing because it supposedly delivers gas more efficiently. The new delivery system could potentially be hazardous, so they want to move the equipment outside and attach a cutoff regulator to minimize potential safety risks.

If this sounds kind of dumb it's because it is. But I wouldn't be worrying about this stuff happening any time soon, PGW is fighting PUC over the change because they don't want to deal with the cost of retrofitting half a million rowhouses to meet this new standard.

**the mule** · 09-13-2012, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by thoth

There have been something like ~60 major incidents over the last 60 years of PGW history, mostly not at residential properties and not even all of those were necessarily life-threatening. It's not exactly dangerous having a gas meter inside your home, but they're not moving it outside because everyone is in danger right now.

It's because the new meters are designed to handle a higher pressure flow that PUC wants gas companies to start implementing because it supposedly delivers gas more efficiently. The new delivery system could potentially be hazardous, so they want to move the equipment outside and attach a cutoff regulator to minimize potential safety risks.

If this sounds kind of dumb it's because it is. But I wouldn't be worrying about this stuff happening any time soon, PGW is fighting PUC over the change because they don't want to deal with the cost of retrofitting half a million rowhouses to meet this new standard.

PGW keeps gas pressure low as it is to reduce the risk of leaks in its aging infrastructure. I can't imagine the individual meters are a greater risk than the 100+ year old cast iron pipes.

**boognish** · 09-14-2012, 11:12 AM

Thanks for all the info.

**thoth** · 09-14-2012, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by the mule

PGW keeps gas pressure low as it is to reduce the risk of leaks in its aging infrastructure. I can't imagine the individual meters are a greater risk than the 100+ year old cast iron pipes.

So you can see why they're reluctant to be put on a 10 year timeline to implement a network-wide pressure increase, on top of ripping out and replacing hundreds of thousands of gas meters.

**the mule** · 09-14-2012, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by thoth

So you can see why they're reluctant to be put on a 10 year timeline to implement a network-wide pressure increase, on top of ripping out and replaces hundreds of thousands of gas meters.

Yeah, they don't even expect to be able to replace all the pipes for another 100 years.