Monday, January 08, 2007
Smelly buildings, wiggly water
Listening to reports of the mysterious mercaptan smell in NYC. The Fox folks aren't quite thinking clearly. They stated that people were smelling the gas inside buildings, and that people were going out on the sidewalk to get fresh air. Then they talked about how the smell could be drifting north from Jersey City or somewhere. Good old drawkcab swen again. If you're smelling it INSIDE buildings and you have to go OUTSIDE for fresh air, this means the smell is not drifting in from OUTSIDE. It's a problem with the natural gas distribution system, possibly an overpressure in the pipes?
I've been noticing an odd phenomenon here for the last three days: a variation in water pressure. Not flow, pressure. Of course increased pressure causes increased flow, but I know it's essentially a pressure variation because I can hear the water heater singing various notes, unlike its normal steady howl when turned on. Varying water pressure can be dangerous, because flushing a toilet when the pressure is at a low point can lead to "siphoning" of the tank water back into the pipes.
= = = = = =
Putting these together, I wonder if someone is experimenting with a new way to sabotage city utilities?
(I've emailed the city water dept twice, but no response. Not surprising; in Spokane you don't count unless your name is Cowles.) ¶ 9:11 AM
I've been noticing an odd phenomenon here for the last three days: a variation in water pressure. Not flow, pressure. Of course increased pressure causes increased flow, but I know it's essentially a pressure variation because I can hear the water heater singing various notes, unlike its normal steady howl when turned on. Varying water pressure can be dangerous, because flushing a toilet when the pressure is at a low point can lead to "siphoning" of the tank water back into the pipes.
= = = = = =
Putting these together, I wonder if someone is experimenting with a new way to sabotage city utilities?
(I've emailed the city water dept twice, but no response. Not surprising; in Spokane you don't count unless your name is Cowles.) ¶ 9:11 AM
