The gas explosion Feb. 27 in the Midway area highlights existing problems with gas connections in the state of Illinois, not all of which are caused by outdated connectors.
I had a gas leak 20-some years ago resulting from an improper gas connection in my new kitchen. When I moved and was again renovating, I was very cautious about how the gas connection was handled. When I smelled gas soon after the stove was installed, I called the gas company and was refused service. I instead arranged for a service call from the stove’s manufacturer, which confirmed that this, too, was an improper gas connection.
After the blast, a Peoples Gas spokesman stated that the gas company recommends replacing connectors every 10 years. With my history on this issue I certainly would have noted that, but I had never heard it before this.
Many other states require that only licensed personnel make gas connections. Here in Illinois, unregulated gas connections and a lack of information and communication from natural gas providers create obvious safety problems. If elevators can be routinely inspected, so can gas connections.
Illinois should institute licensing procedures for those who implement natural gas connections and ensure that those gas connections are subject to periodic safety inspections.
