PLUM, Pa. — From heating your home, to powering your appliances, the majority of houses in our area use natural gas. If left unchecked, the consequences of a leak can be catastrophic.
We’ve seen the devastation caused by the horrific explosion in Rustic Ridge in July of 2023. While the fire marshal is still investigating, he says the home where the explosion originated was having trouble with the hot water tank.
We reached out to an expert, Joshua Toy, who has owned his own plumbing company, Joshua Toy Plumbing for over a decade. He tested the lines at Channel 11′s Amy Hudak’s house. What he found, left her family stunned.
Joshua Toy started what’s called a pressure test by shutting off the gas to the home and each gas-powered appliance. He then used a Coleman gauge and a second gauge to ensure accuracy, before beginning the test. After 15 minutes, the gauge was still rising, so Toy used a blue solution to spray on each fitting. If there’s a leak, the solution will bubble at the site. It’s a spray that anyone can buy for a few bucks. Toy immediately detected a leak in the fitting that connects to the furnace.
“You could come in here and turn the light bulb on and that little flick - that’s it,” Toy said. “It’s mind-blowing.”
Since the house was only four years old, Hudak was especially stunned. The part was fixed and inspected before the gas was able to be turned back on.
“We’re only 30 minutes into this test and we’ve already detected a danger in your home,” Toy said.
We asked if Toy has noticed more calls since six lives were lost in the Rustic Ridge explosion.
“I’ve had way more calls, particularly about water heaters because we are still left clueless about what happened,” Toy said. “As a community, we have a right to peace of mind.”
We asked Joshua what he wants families to know to feel safe in their homes.
“I think we’re safe as long as we do the proper testing and we keep up on the maintenance,” Toy added.
Toy shows us how a gas sniffer works. He says don’t rely on this since it doesn’t test any of the piping in your walls. He says the pressure test for a couple hundred dollars is the way to go.
“I think peace of mind is priceless, to know you’re safe in your own home,” Toy says. “Who doesn’t want that.”
Another option is an inexpensive gas detector for around $60. You can buy one online and much like a smoke detector, it will go off if there is a level of explosive gas detected.
If you smell gas in your home, always leave with your family immediately, then call 911.
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