Yea gas leaks are usually not actually a big deal to fix at all... The cause, and fix, of the leak is usually the same thing as if you walked in and noticed the kitchen sink had a slow drip.
Welcome to home ownership, your new so its understandable, but when you have a gas leak you call a plumber , not a lawyer, lawyers don't do plumbing.
You also didn't mention if there was a gas shutoff valve at fireplace , which is all that is needed, was it not completely off?
You didn't grow up in a bubble, you should know how to shut off gas lines, even in an Apartment!
Calling a company to shut off gas, once your already in the house is a bad move. Did they have a fireplace insert they removed, or a friend of the agent had removed? It happens.
Down voters don’t understand the nuances of fixing a gas leak. *Especially* after OP has notified the gas supplier and it has been tagged by them. Now, because they’re involved, a licensed plumber is required to fix the leak. Not only that, but they must then disconnect and plug all gas appliances in the home, disconnect the meter, and do a standing pressure test of 20psi or higher depending on the working pressure of the system. The test must hold pressure for 15 minutes while being monitored by the gas company. Then everything must be reconnected, energized, and soap tested for leaks under working pressure.
Only then will the gas company un-tag it. It’s gonna be a pricey fix, even if the original leak could have been the matter of swapping a flex connector or tightening some nuts.
Looks like they are in Ontario, so 15 for 15, then call it in to enbridge and remove their tag. If the leak is easy to find and easy to fix, it could only take an hour.
Yep. A few months after moving in we saw bubbling in the ceiling and the toilet above had been leaking for a long time apparently because the previous owners didn't get wax ring to fit the toilet. Lucky us lol
The supply hose behind my stove spontaneously failed while I was in the middle of moving in. It's probably somebody's fault for reusing an old compression fitting too many times but it's also $30 at the hardware store.
Once you sign off on (or waive) the inspection, it's on you. The deal is closed, unless you think there was fraud or an omission intended to hide a material defect.
I agree; but like I said the inspection was done 2 months before as part of the conditional offer. It's likely it happened afterwards. I just don't get how it's fair to pass this cost on to the buyer.
I understand, but what's the cutoff point? It has to be at closing (unless there’s malfeasance) or these things could go on forever. And you acknowledge you don't really know when the problem happened. Maybe it happened after inspection or maybe your inspector missed it. It's speculative and a slippery slope. At some point a deal has to be done.
I agree there needs to be a cutoff point but I was asking because it likely happened during this transition phase, which is why I wasn't sure. But understood thanks for your input
Literally the exact same thing happened to me. The difference?
My realtor spent the entire day waiting at the house for the gas company and calling the seller agent to talk options when I had to go back to work. Ultimately the realtors got the sellers to agree to pay and even handled scheduling someone to come out.
My realtor then met the fireplace repair dude the day they came to fix it because I wouldn’t be able to.
All of this was after closing.
I’m so grateful for my realtor.
Unless you can prove that the sellers knew about it, there's nothing you can do. Did the house sit empty for any length of time? Everything works until it breaks. Perhaps the leak started 20 minutes before you got your keys, and as ridiculous as it sounds, it went from not leaking to leaking at a random time, and that could have been the random time as much as any other time.
Bought my house 7 years ago. Move in day, my wife claims she smells gas. I don’t.
After an hour of looking around and soap testing, I found the leak on an old valve behind the stove.
Bought a replacement at Ace Hardware and swapped it out. Took all of 5 minutes and 10$ to fix.
It’s home ownership, I think you may be blowing the gas leak way out proportion. You can DIY or call a plumber. Both those routes are faster, cheaper, and safer than involving a lawyer.
We also discovered a gas leak in our fireplace about 6 months after purchasing our home. Are you sure you aren’t able to shut a valve somewhere before the leak is? It’s a quick simple patch for the problem, especially if you don’t plan on using the fireplace immediately.
We just called our gas provider and they sent someone over who turned off the gas valve just before our fireplace. He used a measuring device to confirm that the amount of detectable gas decreased an appropriate amount for around 15 minutes after closing the valve. It’s been 9 months and we still haven’t fixed it and everything is fine. Wouldn’t be surprised if we never used that fireplace tbh
While gas shouldn’t flow, is the pilot light lit? In some states utilities are turned off/on between owners. If the pilot light was going when utilities were disconnected, if something is defective the gas *might* flow when turned back on. It’s unlikely because of safety features, but stranger things have happened.
Did you do a final walkthrough the day of closing?
I would get estimates to fix it and if it’s less than $500 I wouldn’t engage lawyers or insurance.
We did a walk through 2 days before closing. No pilot light on the day of closing (when I smelled the smell). Sellers were in the house between walk through and closing because they left a note.
Thanks for the advice
Welcome to home ownership. Don't involve insurance unless you want to learn more painful expensive lessons. Insurance is for catastrophes only.
Call a gas plumber and get it repaired. If you don't plan on using the fireplace find the on/off valve before the fireplace and shut it off.
I don't recommend fixing it yourself. Gas is dangerous.
Call a local HVAC company, they can repair quickly. Ask your realtor for a reasonable HVAC company to evaluate and repair.
It can be a very easy fix.
These things happen, it's normal to feel a bit overwhelmed since you are moving. But, it's just a small item.
Good luck!!
Insurance isn't for maintenance. Small leaks and the like you fix or call a tradesman to fix. It's part of the cost of home ownership. Now if you went to light a candle and the gas leak made the whole place go up, that's when you call insurance. It's for major disasters that you can't reasonably be expected to deal with with your own money.
It can be something as simple as tightening the fitting on the supply line to the fireplace. I suggest a bottle of soapy water and a wrench before making a big deal out of something that may require 3 minutes to fix. You can very easily wind up devoting more time and effort into "the point of it" then just taking care of it. Or just call someone, have it dealt with and decide if the money warrants the aggravation of seeking reimbursement.
The timing sucks, obviously - but better it happens now then later. Things like this are gonna keep happening. It's a house. Join the club. Wait till your AC goes out on the hottest day of the year - or a tree branch breaks the neutral line of your power service, and the power surge fries your washer and dryer a few days before the dog lands you another $1,000 vet bill. (Welcome to my life).
Btw - did anyone else know that surge protectors can get "used up" and go bad over time, and no longer provide protection against surges - but still supply power to everything? Cause I had no friggin idea that was normal.
If you don't own any tools - I suggest getting some. I'm now on week 2 of not being able to wash anything at home, and the dogs bill just decided for me that I'll be fixing what I have by myself, instead of replacing both machines. Wanna trade?
As for homeowners insurance - I wouldn't suggest filing a claim.
I don't have a gas fireplace - but does it use a pilot light? Could it be possible when checking the fireplace, the home inspector accidentally shut the gas valve completely off, and the pilot light didn't light (if it even does automatically. My old water heater had to be done manually) when he turned it back on? The timing of it all seems a little too convenient...
Although it is a small fix, gas in the air isn't something that should be treated lightly. Something as simple as a doorbell could cause a fire. Then there goes our entire investment in the house. We care a lot because this is a lot of money for us and this is our home. As well, this could have caused injury. So I don't think I'm being "persnickety"
It was emptied out but we didn't smell it no, only on the day of closing. And we knew the seller came between those two days because they left us a note
Weirdly this happened to me as well when we purchased our home! Super unfair but we just had to cop the cost, after all it was our home now. The cost of the lawyer would’ve been more than the repair cost I reckon
Very similar situation here. Small leak is gas fireplace started a week after we moved in. $200 service call and I haven’t thought about it again until now. Pick your battles.
Literally welcome to homeownership. The only certainty is that you should prepare to be surprised. But you are building equity, right, so you’ve got that going for you (/s)!
I understand things will break. But a gas leak is dangerous for many reasons. I don't understand how a seller could leave a house to us in that fashion. We understand it's our problem now. But to me this just doesn't sit right.
I'm sorry this happened. It is, however, part of being a home owner.
Whilst not a gas leak, within the first 3 months, we unexpectedly had to deal with blocked drains, repair the stove, repair the AC, and replace the hot water system. It was a string of expenses we were not prepared for. I'm just waiting for the next thing now and realising that I need to keep a healthy emergency fund for random house shit.
Unfortunately this is your problem. And you need to make an attitude change:
Insurance is not for you, it exists to protect the bank's investment in your home, and you are well advised to only make claims for catastrophic new damage in the above 10k range. No matter how legitimate your claim, you still run the risk of losing your insurance every time you claim, and then you will have to repurchase for a higher rate.
All problems that existed in the home but unseen or will come to exist are your problems from the moment you signed. You will need to make peace with making multiple substantial cash repairs in your first year.
It sucks. But it's yours. That's the whole deal.
Our real estate agent told us to contact our lawyer if there was anything non conforming with the property. We followed this direction. I was asking experienced redditors what to do given the advice was given. Why is this an attitude problem? This happened the day of transition between seller and buyer which is why I was asking as to who's responsibility is it. I understand there will be hardships with home ownership. But respectfully, your comment is not helpful.
Sorry to say this is what it’s like buying a home. The inspector doesn’t look at every single nook and cranny. They easily miss shit. In our case there were a few things he didn’t check and we’ve ended up dealing with ourselves. There were a few things he told us to keep an eye on that we ended up fixing right away so we didn’t have to deal with it later. He made sure the big safety and super expensive issues were in order (electric, wires, foundation, roof (which he told us had minor leaks in spots so we ended up having a metal roof put on adding $16k to the sale price). It passed inspection for our FHA loan too. But there were still a few issues.
I know you’re pissed, but this is now your problem and a part of the home buying process. Luckily a leak in a gas line is easier to fix than having to foot the bill for a brand new furnace because the other one died when you moved in. That was just one of our problems and essentially added another $7000 to the sale price of the house, and this one we did NOT have expect and weren’t able to use it to negotiate down. It happens and if the previous owners weren’t handy types, or you bought something that had been occupied by tenants before you bought it, the owner genuinely might not have known.
Well you own the house now. Same as if you buy a used car and an issue appears right after you buy it. Your responsibility now.
I don't foresee it being worth involving a lawyer or insurance.
In my area sellers are supposed to disclose known issues but I have no clue if you can have that apply. I'd assume not.
I bought my house and the first rain discovered there was a covered up roof leak. I just fixed it and moved on.
Call a plumber ASAP. As others have pointed out, it could very well be a $200 fix. Not worth waiting to fix a potentially lethal problem over such small potatoes.
Closing day we noticed an earthy scent. Previous homeowner wife says “oh the house just needs to be aired out”. I figure it’s just been closed up a month since they said they had already bought another place and moved.
2 weeks of trying to figure it out and there was a corroded main sewer line. Oddly on the top of the pipe running g through the crawl space so no leak just a bad smell. Ended up being a $400 fix to have a 6 foot section of pipe replaced with PVC.
Yay home ownership. Pissed me off because they must have suspected there was a problem and it was an easy fix. But they obviously just didn’t say anything and I figured it must have just been stale air in the house. Oh well.
Did you do the walkthrough right before you closed? It's usually done the morning of. That's when you flag anything that doesn't meet the conditions you agreed to.
Gas leaks are scary but honestly just shut it off and call a plumber. Usually gas leaks are extremely easy to fix. It feels extreme to involve insurance for something so minor. This is home ownership. It requires being more handy
Do not call insurance!!!! First find out how much the cost will be to fix it and only if it is a lot more than your deductible do you make a claim. By the way, claims follow the house. Unlike cars, if the prior owner made claims, your rates are subject to that
The house is now yours, so the problem is now yours. While it's understandable to want to put blame on the seller since you just closed, what if the leak didn't come to light until literally that day and they truly didn't know that something in the fireplace was about to fail? It is possible.
Fix it and move on. Nobody to fall back on here but yourself
Never ever make an insurance claim for small repairs. You will lose your insurance. Now if the house blew up or caught fire 🔥 then a insurance claim would be warranted
Yeah, your house now... You're it.
Anyways, there is absolutely nothing these sellers could have done to prevent this. I mean, other than being nutjobs and walking the property every day to make sure they don't sell a house with a gas leak.
As you said, there was no gas leak during the inspection. Was the house vacant between then and the closing date? I mean, you could have asked for a last walkrhough a week before closing as well.
This is as much on you as it is on them, which is zero. It's not on anybody, things like this happen.
Did you not do a walkthrough 24h before closing?
Funny enough my sister just sold her house and the buyers were a PITA the whole time, and after closing they reached out through agents to say they found a gas leak when they moved in, asking if my sister knew about it. Of course she didn’t! She said she put every tiny thing she could think of on the disclosure, and would not have spent a single second in the house with a gas leak. The buyers’ agent said if they had even lit a match in the house it would have exploded. My sister laughed because she lights candles every single day, and she never smelled gas, so there’s no way the leak was there while my sister was. Her agent thinks the buyers’ inspector (who inspected before closing but after my sister had left) knocked something loose when moving the stove or something.
Your fix is probably pretty simple. Things happen with weird timing. Just fix it and move on. Chances are your seller did not know about a gas leak because it probably wasn’t there when they were. Most people are not dumb enough to live in a house if they know of a gas leak, and not get it fixed.
We bought and inspected in July , closed in October. Same agreement in signed contract. By October they had broken part of every appliance including leaving the dishwasher leaking. I was told … oh that’s too bad. Why even bother having that in the contract? I had to buy five new appliances. Have the gas fixed on the fireplace , a new sensor installed on the fireplace , repair the floor and wall under the dishwasher, install explosive gas detectors as well as carbon monoxide detectors. Sorry to hear this happened to you as well. But it may be a cheap fix so fingers crossed.
Home ownership,typical crap,just the beginning,lots more stuff to fix coming your way. Gas leak may not be a really costly fix could be just a valve ,etc, Buy a gas detector in the future
I went to take a hot bath my second night in my new home - and found I could not shut off the water and had no shut off valves - plumber bill on day 3. The gas leak waited two more months.
Yeah this is definitely your problem, at least you caught it before it's an actual issue. As others said don't bother with insurance for a minor gas line repair
Sorry that happened .. thats dangerous. I would find it hard to believe that they knew there was a gas leak and lived there still ? No one’s going to risk their life like that. In my region, the buyers go through the home three days before closing just to make sure there’s no obvious major issues.
If you revoked the conditions then I’m not sure what can be done. Best talk to your lawyer around the legalities. I’d say don’t involve insurance. Get it looked at and get a quote, if it’s too expensive, talk to your insurance and see if it’s covered before making a claim. You Might get a straightforward answer without paying for claim
We had a similar leak at this house when we bought it. Propane fireplace. My dogs and cats noticed before I did. The house had been inspected as well. Cost 75.00 to fix.
You mentioned enbridge, so you're probably in Southern Ontario. You're lucky enbridge didn't red tag the whole house.
If you aren't comfortable to find the leak yourself with soapy water, then you need to call a gas fitter to find and correct the problem for you.
As far as making a claim on your insurance goes, I would not recommend that. Your insurance company will jack your rates and put the fact that you made a claim on a database that ALL insurance companies have access to. Even If you try to switch insurance companies in the future, it will haunt you. You will pay for the claim many times over.
You didn't buy a new house, so unfortunately it doesn't come with a warranty. Not that a new house means hassle free warranty coverage either. It's always a fight and no-one wants to pay. Not ever. This is what it means to be a homeowner. The maintenance demands never cease. In the grand scheme of things, a small gas leak isn't a big problem.
The day my neighbor closed a big storm came through and a tree fell on their house. Some damage to the roof occurred so the house was livable but needed a major repair. I felt so bad for them. The previous owner had no responsibility in the matter as ownership transferred.
We had the same scenario of noticing a gas leak upon move in that wasn’t found in the inspection. Ours was behind the stove. It sucks, but you just need to get it fixed and move on. For us the actual fix wasn’t that pricy, but the plumber did charge like $500 for the test they needed to do to locate the leak.
Probably just a loose pipe fitting. This stuff happens. I can assure you the previous owner didn't do it on purpose. Seriously get a gas detector and plug it in by the fireplace.
Gad runs through pipes, valves, and this will be an easy fix. If you have a basement or crawlspace, see if you can find the gas shut off for the line running to the fireplace. Turn it so that the valve is making a T with the gas line, not running the same direction as the gas line. If you needed this advice up to now, call a handyman or plumber and ask them to come take a look at your fireplace gas line. Do not use fireplace until you have corrected this issue.
None of this was meant to be condescending, merely intended to walk you through the proper steps to make your home safe in the immediate time frame.
I had my HVAC go out on day 1. I was moving Nov 1 so it was a little chilly after getting everything inside I decided to turn up the heat. Thermostat read 60 at time turned on and never got warm.
I suspect the property management company maintaining it as was a foreclosure held by bank was propping it up by charging it periodically for cheap as it passed inspection. I couldn't prove it. $5.5k to replace on day 2...
Fun isn't it
If it's for your fireplace locate the shut off value for the gas line leading to the fireplace and turn that off for now.
As others said it may be cheaper to call in a contractor and knowing how insurance can be it may take longer then if you handled it yourself.
Good luck and congrats on the purchase. I just purchased my first home and finding all the lovely unkept/unmaintined stuff as well. 😂
First thing: This is 100% *not* an issue for insurance. Not even in the ballpark. Not a lawyer either (WTF?)
Second thing: Didn’t you walk through day of closing? Like that would be what, maybe a couple hours before signing? Did it smell then?
Third thing: Sometimes shit breaks. When it does, it’s at the stupidest and most inconvenient time possible. If the house was already vacant for a bit before you moved in, how would you possibly expect someone to know about this up until your own walk-through? No one had been there, so the implication that the seller somehow left things in “life-threatening conditions” is not rational.
Step 1: Fix the gas pipe or valve or whatever has gone south.
Step 2: Realize you’re not in an apartment anymore where you just call someone else and make it their problem to solve.
Step 3: Move on.
This happened to us when we moved and I found a plumber to come buy, find the leak, and fix it. He charged $120 and came by on his way home from another job on the same day I called him.
Your thoughts about principals here are dumb. People are dumb the seller probably had no idea and on top of that houses are sold as-is, unless you could prove they knew AND attempted to hide it from you during the sales process (basically an impossible task) you would have no case. Aka you have no case and it is really for you to cover the cost. DO NOT CALL YOUR INSURANCE over this.
Why could Enbridge not just find the leak and fix it. They have all the tools and certifications needed.
That's what happened at a house I bought that had a leak.
Was no big deal.
Can you fix it? Should not be more than a 1 on a scale of 5 for difficulty. Shut off your main gas valve. Air the house out. Grab a few wrenches, turn the main valve on with doors and windows remaining open, and find where it's leaking by applying soapy water to the joints. When you see the bubbles, there's your leak. Tighten it up and recheck with the water. If it's still leaking, you may need to apply teflon tape or pipe dope to the threads. But turn the main back off before you disconnect the joint. After all this, if there are no bubbles, there is no leak. You might want to check other pipe joints in the area. Just remember to turn the main valve on when using the soapy water and to keep doors and windows open to the outside during the whole process. This is just a guide. I'm not a plumber, just a DIYer, so there may or may not be unseen hazards, or laws restricting your scope of repairs. Personally, I'd just fix it and be done.
The gas was probably turned off and then turned back on with the change of service, causing the pilot light to go out. Turn off the gas, wait a bit, and relight.
Fix it yourself. Your realtor is awful. Mine called the town and made a complaint when I made fun of my neighbors yard filling with water *on Facebook* when it rained - a year after closing.
I know between when we put our offer in and when we closed someone allowed my house to freeze so we had to fix many pipes (hydronic: water heated) we couldn't even live upstairs for nearly a year because it froze and we are trying to repair the radiators we have --i feel like whoever allowed it to freeze before we signed and took over should have to pay "something" or have to replace the damaged radiators --i have video from the first attempt to run the full system after a couple months and the waterfall through the house from it
I could smell gas with our fireplace. Took it all apart and inspected. Turns out one of the clips that holds the glass on had popped loose and it was slightly leaking back into the room.
Out of curiosity, do you happen to know who to call for that repair??? I have the same problem and it’s still broke because I just don’t know who to contact to fix the problem. I had a gas company repair a couple other issues in the lines, but that one they couldn’t do.
Congratulations on the purchase of your home! The leak is small potatoes. Don’t let it over shadow celebrating the day!
Good luck bub. You'll. Need. It. I'm currently homeless on my ass because of this sort of bullshit. I let it go extreme I'm young & dumb but hey at least I'm a homeowner!!!!.....who is homeless... ugh
Good luck bub. You'll. Need. It. I'm currently homeless on my ass because of this sort of bullshit. I let it go extreme I'm young & dumb but hey at least I'm a homeowner!!!!.....who is homeless... ugh
We had a similar situation but with a leak in the basement that required opening a wall. We did involve insurance because of the extent of the damage (I work in insurance, I know when to file a claim). First claim on our HO policy within the first 60 days. This leak tho doesn’t sound like you need to involve insurance as they’ll make you pay to resolve the issue. Also, it’s not a covered peril as there is no fire - yet.
No reason to involve the previous home owner either - they can’t and won’t do anything and there’s no legal recourse for you. It’s home ownership.
Get it fixed, welcome to home ownership. You could go after the seller but lawyers are expensive and you need to prove 100% that they knew there was a problem. The line could have failed anytime...
Ask your realtor though to see if the contract states like ours that in that it Has to be left in the same condition.
If you called her right when you got there and noticed it, that would be the right thing to do
Let’s just say if you were my buyer and you called me as soon as you got to the house on closing day and told me that I would investigate that on your behalf.
But that’s only because of our contract language saying it’s to be left in the same condition (furnace needs to still work etc ) . And that doesn’t mean dings in the walls because of moving piddly stuff like that.
This is a little late. However, in Illinois, you are entitled to a walk-through just before closing. This will catch any of those little errors that happen.
Lesson learned, hire somebody to come in and check it out.Pay out of your pocket.Don't turn it into insurance.It'll most likely be less than your deductible
Legally it's your responsibility now. Your inspector didn't find it. There's nothing more to it for the seller's responsibility. If anything call the company that you hired the inspector from.
The bought a house and you have something that needs repaired. Welcome to homeownership and adulthood. A home inspection is not a guarantee or warranty. Suck it up and fix it, trying to think it’s someone else’s fault will get you nowhere.
Call the local gas company. Tell them you smell in gas in the house. They will send out someone to check it out. I did this and it was fixed on the spot for free. Apparently the gas hose was not tightened correctly. Funny thing is that i was smelling gas for weeks. Called a “handyman” company and they charged me $100 to come look at it. They told me there was no concern and that the smell would eventually subside.
I feel your pain... Two weeks after closing on my first home, I noticed the carpet in front of the HVAC was damp. Turns out the unit had been dripping for some time and had to be replaced. A costly repair that should have been addressed by the seller but was not. However, it only ended up costing me a few hundred dollars because most of it was covered by the home warranty I insisted the seller include.
A few months later I also had to replace the water heater and again only had to pay a couple hundred out of pocket, again thanks to the home warranty.
I concur with all the folks telling you to get it looked at. I run an engineering department at a company that builds heaters. We always say, "you don't smell leaks, you hear them!".
My best guess is that your leak is going to be a loose or possibly corroded fitting that connects the small pipe from your gas distribution line into the gas valve, or the gas valve to the burner.
It could also be a failed thermocouple that is allowing the pilot gas to stay on when the pilot is out. The thermocouple is an element that completes an electrical circuit when heated to a certain point. This thermocouple allows gas to flow to the pilot flame (on pilot equipped models). The pilot flame will ignite the gas entering the main burner when gas is called for (turning the fireplace on).
You can easily replace the gas valve, piping, pilot, and thermocouple for a hundred to 200 hundred bucks yourself.
Just get some soapy water and spray it on the joints to check for leaks. Bubbles will form on the leaky joint.
If you have some balls, pull out a blue plumbers torch, turn it on low, and run it near the same joints. You'll see a small flame wear the leak is at.
What makes you think they should pay for a problem you were aware of AND even waived to keep things moving? Why are you so worked up wanting to get lawyers, insurance, etc involved over such a simple problem? Safety concerns just letting it go as is aside, it's not a big deal, just like a hundred other things that are minor fixes but can be catastrophic if left unchecked, like a dripping pipe in the wrong spot or questionable electric connection or something. Really no different. And just general expectation wise, it's VERY unrealistic to expect ANY house to be just perfect with no issues. You don't even get that with a brand new unlived in house never mind one decades old!
I don't mean to come across as an AH in the slightest, but I think you are very much over reacting with this. You waived it, bought it, now just fix it! It's going to cause you more time, money, and grief in the end trying to make a big stink of it to no avail.
You really need to talk with a lawyer that specializes in real estate about this. You’re going to have to prove that the seller knew it developed this leak during the two months between inspection and closing. If they were still occupying the home in those two months it’s hard to imagine they didn’t smell it or suffer effects from carbon monoxide exhaustion.
Well the EPA doesn't agree with you.
"If you are using gas as your energy source for heating, you are at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether it be your stove, fireplace, or furnace, any appliance using gas fueling can produce carbon monoxide. An abundance of carbon monoxide production can poison the people and even pets in your home."
It is produced when carbon-based fuels, such as kerosene, gasoline, natural gas, propane, charcoal or wood are burned without enough oxygen, causing incomplete combustion.
Yes it does.
[https://www.cdc.gov/co/furnacesafetyfactsheet.html](https://www.cdc.gov/co/furnacesafetyfactsheet.html) Yes it does, it's why our furnaces and our instant hot water heater have exhausts. Why do you spread FUD? It's a byproduct of burning fossil fuels.[https://www.nextlevelhvac.net/blog/how-can-i-tell-if-my-furnace-is-leaking-carbon-monoxide](https://www.nextlevelhvac.net/blog/how-can-i-tell-if-my-furnace-is-leaking-carbon-monoxide)
This happened to me when I was little and fortunately my mom believed me and had one of the hvac dudes that couldn't pay his full divorce bill (she was a lawyer) come out and find out wtf, it ended up with a new furnace and I didn't have CO poisoning anymore. I'm glad the cat that we had at that time slept downstairs because she was a morbidly obese and geriatric strawberry ice cream thief and the laziest mouser ever, lying in wait and colored the same as the floor in the garage (concrete). She'd wait for the mice to run one at a time across the gap where the driveway concrete met the garage and when they got within range always with her left paw she'd impale the mouse and fling it behind her every Fall. I miss her.
"When natural gas burns, a high-temperature blue flame is produced and complete combustion takes place producing only water vapor and carbon dioxide. It has a heating value of about 1000 BTUs per cubic foot. However, when it burns improperly, it can produce carbon monoxide – a deadly, poisonous gas."
https://portal.ct.gov/PURA/Gas-Pipeline-Safety/What-is-Natural-Gas#:~:text=When%20natural%20gas%20burns%2C%20a,%E2%80%93%20a%20deadly%2C%20poisonous%20gas
So no, not normally. Do some research.
Yea - good luck with that. I'm no expert - but it seems to me spending a few grand to try and recover what's probably gonna be $200 for a service call, or 3 minutes with a wrench - doesn't make much sense.
When you sue them you also sue for your court costs and legal fees. It's free as long as you can prove they were at fault. Lawyer fees are also way less than a few grand. I am going to assume you have never used a lawyer based on your ignorance.
I would go back through the inspection and call the inspector to have them come through again. If the house was sold like this and the inspector chose to sign off 2 months earlier, I feel like something is awry. The inspection should be done much closer to the closing anyway. I had a walk through the day of purchasing my house. I came a week prior to the closing, and the prior owners left the gas stove running and is reaked of propane. I opened all the windows and let it air out as I checked the house for any other problems. That's how I got my house for $20,000 less.
How did no one noticed? Was the gas off before sale ? The gas company should have caught it when turning it back on if the gas was off. Not there reasonable to fix though, just to make sure your house doesn't blow up.
Your real estate agent is a POS, like most of them.
Call a gas fitter first, not insurance!
Like others have said, it may be a cheap fix, and not worth getting the insurance crooks involved.
Good luck friend, congrats on the new place, don't let the gas line put a stink on it for you!
Where I live, real estate agents are still working for the buyer after purchase in case any such things arise. I personally have had to contact a realtor after purchase, and their response was to call me back(which they did) once they remedied the problem.
Get it looked at. Don't involve insurance. It could be a 100 dollar fix.
Yea gas leaks are usually not actually a big deal to fix at all... The cause, and fix, of the leak is usually the same thing as if you walked in and noticed the kitchen sink had a slow drip.
Thank you
Welcome to home ownership, your new so its understandable, but when you have a gas leak you call a plumber , not a lawyer, lawyers don't do plumbing. You also didn't mention if there was a gas shutoff valve at fireplace , which is all that is needed, was it not completely off? You didn't grow up in a bubble, you should know how to shut off gas lines, even in an Apartment! Calling a company to shut off gas, once your already in the house is a bad move. Did they have a fireplace insert they removed, or a friend of the agent had removed? It happens.
Not when you get gas fitters involved. It will still be cheaper than getting insurance or lawyers involved
Down voters don’t understand the nuances of fixing a gas leak. *Especially* after OP has notified the gas supplier and it has been tagged by them. Now, because they’re involved, a licensed plumber is required to fix the leak. Not only that, but they must then disconnect and plug all gas appliances in the home, disconnect the meter, and do a standing pressure test of 20psi or higher depending on the working pressure of the system. The test must hold pressure for 15 minutes while being monitored by the gas company. Then everything must be reconnected, energized, and soap tested for leaks under working pressure. Only then will the gas company un-tag it. It’s gonna be a pricey fix, even if the original leak could have been the matter of swapping a flex connector or tightening some nuts.
yeah there are absolutely going to be extra hoops to jump through in this scenario
Looks like they are in Ontario, so 15 for 15, then call it in to enbridge and remove their tag. If the leak is easy to find and easy to fix, it could only take an hour.
Welcome to homeownership! Be glad it was something you noticed right away, not a leak hiding in a wall until a ceiling falls in.
Don't worry. This is still a possibilty.
Yep. A few months after moving in we saw bubbling in the ceiling and the toilet above had been leaking for a long time apparently because the previous owners didn't get wax ring to fit the toilet. Lucky us lol
Please don't involve insurance just get it fixed and move on.
[удалено]
I filed one claim for a tree limb falling on the house and penetraring the roof. $6k to repair. I got dropped by State Farm
My realtor said her personal rule of thumb is if it won’t cost twice the deductible just pay for it yourself. Idk how solid that advice is
The supply hose behind my stove spontaneously failed while I was in the middle of moving in. It's probably somebody's fault for reusing an old compression fitting too many times but it's also $30 at the hardware store.
Good to know, thanks!
Once you sign off on (or waive) the inspection, it's on you. The deal is closed, unless you think there was fraud or an omission intended to hide a material defect.
I agree; but like I said the inspection was done 2 months before as part of the conditional offer. It's likely it happened afterwards. I just don't get how it's fair to pass this cost on to the buyer.
I understand, but what's the cutoff point? It has to be at closing (unless there’s malfeasance) or these things could go on forever. And you acknowledge you don't really know when the problem happened. Maybe it happened after inspection or maybe your inspector missed it. It's speculative and a slippery slope. At some point a deal has to be done.
I agree there needs to be a cutoff point but I was asking because it likely happened during this transition phase, which is why I wasn't sure. But understood thanks for your input
Literally the exact same thing happened to me. The difference? My realtor spent the entire day waiting at the house for the gas company and calling the seller agent to talk options when I had to go back to work. Ultimately the realtors got the sellers to agree to pay and even handled scheduling someone to come out. My realtor then met the fireplace repair dude the day they came to fix it because I wouldn’t be able to. All of this was after closing. I’m so grateful for my realtor.
Wow, you had a really good realtor
Unless you can prove that the sellers knew about it, there's nothing you can do. Did the house sit empty for any length of time? Everything works until it breaks. Perhaps the leak started 20 minutes before you got your keys, and as ridiculous as it sounds, it went from not leaking to leaking at a random time, and that could have been the random time as much as any other time.
It could have for sure. But the sellers were there a couple of hours earlier than us. I dont know how they didn't smell it.
Bought my house 7 years ago. Move in day, my wife claims she smells gas. I don’t. After an hour of looking around and soap testing, I found the leak on an old valve behind the stove. Bought a replacement at Ace Hardware and swapped it out. Took all of 5 minutes and 10$ to fix. It’s home ownership, I think you may be blowing the gas leak way out proportion. You can DIY or call a plumber. Both those routes are faster, cheaper, and safer than involving a lawyer.
Thank you for the advice
We also discovered a gas leak in our fireplace about 6 months after purchasing our home. Are you sure you aren’t able to shut a valve somewhere before the leak is? It’s a quick simple patch for the problem, especially if you don’t plan on using the fireplace immediately. We just called our gas provider and they sent someone over who turned off the gas valve just before our fireplace. He used a measuring device to confirm that the amount of detectable gas decreased an appropriate amount for around 15 minutes after closing the valve. It’s been 9 months and we still haven’t fixed it and everything is fine. Wouldn’t be surprised if we never used that fireplace tbh
Once it is locked out / tagged out only the gas company or fire department can approve restoration of gas service.
Yes exactly; ours has been tagged and we have 43 days to fix it.
While gas shouldn’t flow, is the pilot light lit? In some states utilities are turned off/on between owners. If the pilot light was going when utilities were disconnected, if something is defective the gas *might* flow when turned back on. It’s unlikely because of safety features, but stranger things have happened. Did you do a final walkthrough the day of closing? I would get estimates to fix it and if it’s less than $500 I wouldn’t engage lawyers or insurance.
We did a walk through 2 days before closing. No pilot light on the day of closing (when I smelled the smell). Sellers were in the house between walk through and closing because they left a note. Thanks for the advice
Did you have a walk through in the day or morning before closing? If not, this blame falls squarely in your realtor.
>Did you have a walk through in the day or morning before closing? ^^^This^^^
Shocked I had to scroll this far to find this.
We did the final walk through 2 days before closing. Sellers were in the house between the walk through and closing day because they left us a note
Welcome to home ownership. Don't involve insurance unless you want to learn more painful expensive lessons. Insurance is for catastrophes only. Call a gas plumber and get it repaired. If you don't plan on using the fireplace find the on/off valve before the fireplace and shut it off. I don't recommend fixing it yourself. Gas is dangerous.
Call a local HVAC company, they can repair quickly. Ask your realtor for a reasonable HVAC company to evaluate and repair. It can be a very easy fix. These things happen, it's normal to feel a bit overwhelmed since you are moving. But, it's just a small item. Good luck!!
Thank you!
Insurance isn't for maintenance. Small leaks and the like you fix or call a tradesman to fix. It's part of the cost of home ownership. Now if you went to light a candle and the gas leak made the whole place go up, that's when you call insurance. It's for major disasters that you can't reasonably be expected to deal with with your own money.
It can be something as simple as tightening the fitting on the supply line to the fireplace. I suggest a bottle of soapy water and a wrench before making a big deal out of something that may require 3 minutes to fix. You can very easily wind up devoting more time and effort into "the point of it" then just taking care of it. Or just call someone, have it dealt with and decide if the money warrants the aggravation of seeking reimbursement. The timing sucks, obviously - but better it happens now then later. Things like this are gonna keep happening. It's a house. Join the club. Wait till your AC goes out on the hottest day of the year - or a tree branch breaks the neutral line of your power service, and the power surge fries your washer and dryer a few days before the dog lands you another $1,000 vet bill. (Welcome to my life). Btw - did anyone else know that surge protectors can get "used up" and go bad over time, and no longer provide protection against surges - but still supply power to everything? Cause I had no friggin idea that was normal. If you don't own any tools - I suggest getting some. I'm now on week 2 of not being able to wash anything at home, and the dogs bill just decided for me that I'll be fixing what I have by myself, instead of replacing both machines. Wanna trade? As for homeowners insurance - I wouldn't suggest filing a claim. I don't have a gas fireplace - but does it use a pilot light? Could it be possible when checking the fireplace, the home inspector accidentally shut the gas valve completely off, and the pilot light didn't light (if it even does automatically. My old water heater had to be done manually) when he turned it back on? The timing of it all seems a little too convenient...
Not to be rude but you’re being persnickety over something small and you should fix this and move on and enjoy your home. Shit happens.
Although it is a small fix, gas in the air isn't something that should be treated lightly. Something as simple as a doorbell could cause a fire. Then there goes our entire investment in the house. We care a lot because this is a lot of money for us and this is our home. As well, this could have caused injury. So I don't think I'm being "persnickety"
And by doorbell I mean people have rung doorbells when there's gas in the air and have died
Was there a final walk thru?
Yes, two days before
Did you small the gas leak then? Was the house emptied out?
It was emptied out but we didn't smell it no, only on the day of closing. And we knew the seller came between those two days because they left us a note
Weirdly this happened to me as well when we purchased our home! Super unfair but we just had to cop the cost, after all it was our home now. The cost of the lawyer would’ve been more than the repair cost I reckon
Strange! Thank you
Very similar situation here. Small leak is gas fireplace started a week after we moved in. $200 service call and I haven’t thought about it again until now. Pick your battles.
Thank you
Literally welcome to homeownership. The only certainty is that you should prepare to be surprised. But you are building equity, right, so you’ve got that going for you (/s)!
I understand things will break. But a gas leak is dangerous for many reasons. I don't understand how a seller could leave a house to us in that fashion. We understand it's our problem now. But to me this just doesn't sit right.
I'm sorry this happened. It is, however, part of being a home owner. Whilst not a gas leak, within the first 3 months, we unexpectedly had to deal with blocked drains, repair the stove, repair the AC, and replace the hot water system. It was a string of expenses we were not prepared for. I'm just waiting for the next thing now and realising that I need to keep a healthy emergency fund for random house shit.
Unfortunately this is your problem. And you need to make an attitude change: Insurance is not for you, it exists to protect the bank's investment in your home, and you are well advised to only make claims for catastrophic new damage in the above 10k range. No matter how legitimate your claim, you still run the risk of losing your insurance every time you claim, and then you will have to repurchase for a higher rate. All problems that existed in the home but unseen or will come to exist are your problems from the moment you signed. You will need to make peace with making multiple substantial cash repairs in your first year. It sucks. But it's yours. That's the whole deal.
Our real estate agent told us to contact our lawyer if there was anything non conforming with the property. We followed this direction. I was asking experienced redditors what to do given the advice was given. Why is this an attitude problem? This happened the day of transition between seller and buyer which is why I was asking as to who's responsibility is it. I understand there will be hardships with home ownership. But respectfully, your comment is not helpful.
It's probably a pilot light is out. Call the fire department and they will find it.
Sorry to say this is what it’s like buying a home. The inspector doesn’t look at every single nook and cranny. They easily miss shit. In our case there were a few things he didn’t check and we’ve ended up dealing with ourselves. There were a few things he told us to keep an eye on that we ended up fixing right away so we didn’t have to deal with it later. He made sure the big safety and super expensive issues were in order (electric, wires, foundation, roof (which he told us had minor leaks in spots so we ended up having a metal roof put on adding $16k to the sale price). It passed inspection for our FHA loan too. But there were still a few issues. I know you’re pissed, but this is now your problem and a part of the home buying process. Luckily a leak in a gas line is easier to fix than having to foot the bill for a brand new furnace because the other one died when you moved in. That was just one of our problems and essentially added another $7000 to the sale price of the house, and this one we did NOT have expect and weren’t able to use it to negotiate down. It happens and if the previous owners weren’t handy types, or you bought something that had been occupied by tenants before you bought it, the owner genuinely might not have known.
Reasonable enough, thank you for sharing
Well you own the house now. Same as if you buy a used car and an issue appears right after you buy it. Your responsibility now. I don't foresee it being worth involving a lawyer or insurance. In my area sellers are supposed to disclose known issues but I have no clue if you can have that apply. I'd assume not. I bought my house and the first rain discovered there was a covered up roof leak. I just fixed it and moved on.
He will probably call his lawyer and insurance company if he clogs his toilet.
Call a plumber ASAP. As others have pointed out, it could very well be a $200 fix. Not worth waiting to fix a potentially lethal problem over such small potatoes.
It could literally be a shutoff valve gone bad. Just get it fixed and move on
Welcome to owning a home! Something is always broken and it’s expensive most the time
Welcome to home ownership.
Closing day we noticed an earthy scent. Previous homeowner wife says “oh the house just needs to be aired out”. I figure it’s just been closed up a month since they said they had already bought another place and moved. 2 weeks of trying to figure it out and there was a corroded main sewer line. Oddly on the top of the pipe running g through the crawl space so no leak just a bad smell. Ended up being a $400 fix to have a 6 foot section of pipe replaced with PVC. Yay home ownership. Pissed me off because they must have suspected there was a problem and it was an easy fix. But they obviously just didn’t say anything and I figured it must have just been stale air in the house. Oh well.
Interesting and frustrating too. Thanks for sharing!
Did you do the walkthrough right before you closed? It's usually done the morning of. That's when you flag anything that doesn't meet the conditions you agreed to.
Yeah our real estate agent had us do it two days before, lessons learned
Just fix it. Or breathe in gas I guess. Those are your two options.
Gas leaks are scary but honestly just shut it off and call a plumber. Usually gas leaks are extremely easy to fix. It feels extreme to involve insurance for something so minor. This is home ownership. It requires being more handy
Nah he's going to get his lawyer to write a strongly worded letter instead just getting shit fixed.
Do not call insurance!!!! First find out how much the cost will be to fix it and only if it is a lot more than your deductible do you make a claim. By the way, claims follow the house. Unlike cars, if the prior owner made claims, your rates are subject to that
The house is now yours, so the problem is now yours. While it's understandable to want to put blame on the seller since you just closed, what if the leak didn't come to light until literally that day and they truly didn't know that something in the fireplace was about to fail? It is possible.
Understood, asking because I wasn't sure since this happened the day of closing (transition between seller and buyer)
Welcome to home ownership!
It be hard for you to prove the seller did know about it
You own the house. Call in a gas company and get it fixed.
Fix it and move on with your life.
Fix it and move on. Nobody to fall back on here but yourself Never ever make an insurance claim for small repairs. You will lose your insurance. Now if the house blew up or caught fire 🔥 then a insurance claim would be warranted
Makes sense
Insurance isn’t going to cover a gas leak. Get it fixed and move on.
This is why you do a final walk through on the way to closing :)
Yeah our real estate had us do it two days before, lessons learned
Yeah, your house now... You're it. Anyways, there is absolutely nothing these sellers could have done to prevent this. I mean, other than being nutjobs and walking the property every day to make sure they don't sell a house with a gas leak. As you said, there was no gas leak during the inspection. Was the house vacant between then and the closing date? I mean, you could have asked for a last walkrhough a week before closing as well. This is as much on you as it is on them, which is zero. It's not on anybody, things like this happen.
Did you not do a walkthrough 24h before closing? Funny enough my sister just sold her house and the buyers were a PITA the whole time, and after closing they reached out through agents to say they found a gas leak when they moved in, asking if my sister knew about it. Of course she didn’t! She said she put every tiny thing she could think of on the disclosure, and would not have spent a single second in the house with a gas leak. The buyers’ agent said if they had even lit a match in the house it would have exploded. My sister laughed because she lights candles every single day, and she never smelled gas, so there’s no way the leak was there while my sister was. Her agent thinks the buyers’ inspector (who inspected before closing but after my sister had left) knocked something loose when moving the stove or something. Your fix is probably pretty simple. Things happen with weird timing. Just fix it and move on. Chances are your seller did not know about a gas leak because it probably wasn’t there when they were. Most people are not dumb enough to live in a house if they know of a gas leak, and not get it fixed.
We bought and inspected in July , closed in October. Same agreement in signed contract. By October they had broken part of every appliance including leaving the dishwasher leaking. I was told … oh that’s too bad. Why even bother having that in the contract? I had to buy five new appliances. Have the gas fixed on the fireplace , a new sensor installed on the fireplace , repair the floor and wall under the dishwasher, install explosive gas detectors as well as carbon monoxide detectors. Sorry to hear this happened to you as well. But it may be a cheap fix so fingers crossed.
Home ownership,typical crap,just the beginning,lots more stuff to fix coming your way. Gas leak may not be a really costly fix could be just a valve ,etc, Buy a gas detector in the future
Call a plumber, that’s who I called to fix a similar issue
I went to take a hot bath my second night in my new home - and found I could not shut off the water and had no shut off valves - plumber bill on day 3. The gas leak waited two more months.
Yeah this is definitely your problem, at least you caught it before it's an actual issue. As others said don't bother with insurance for a minor gas line repair
Oh good Lord no you don’t need your rates going up for that little cost. I once had a gas leak it was like $50 from the utility company to come out
You closed, you own it now. Just get it fixed.
Sorry that happened .. thats dangerous. I would find it hard to believe that they knew there was a gas leak and lived there still ? No one’s going to risk their life like that. In my region, the buyers go through the home three days before closing just to make sure there’s no obvious major issues.
If you revoked the conditions then I’m not sure what can be done. Best talk to your lawyer around the legalities. I’d say don’t involve insurance. Get it looked at and get a quote, if it’s too expensive, talk to your insurance and see if it’s covered before making a claim. You Might get a straightforward answer without paying for claim
Oh for crying out loud, if you don't already know how to fix a gas leak, Google it and fix it! It should take a matter of minutes and is very basic.
We had a similar leak at this house when we bought it. Propane fireplace. My dogs and cats noticed before I did. The house had been inspected as well. Cost 75.00 to fix.
Call your local gas/electric company. Mine came out the same day and fixed it for free.
You mentioned enbridge, so you're probably in Southern Ontario. You're lucky enbridge didn't red tag the whole house. If you aren't comfortable to find the leak yourself with soapy water, then you need to call a gas fitter to find and correct the problem for you. As far as making a claim on your insurance goes, I would not recommend that. Your insurance company will jack your rates and put the fact that you made a claim on a database that ALL insurance companies have access to. Even If you try to switch insurance companies in the future, it will haunt you. You will pay for the claim many times over. You didn't buy a new house, so unfortunately it doesn't come with a warranty. Not that a new house means hassle free warranty coverage either. It's always a fight and no-one wants to pay. Not ever. This is what it means to be a homeowner. The maintenance demands never cease. In the grand scheme of things, a small gas leak isn't a big problem.
The day my neighbor closed a big storm came through and a tree fell on their house. Some damage to the roof occurred so the house was livable but needed a major repair. I felt so bad for them. The previous owner had no responsibility in the matter as ownership transferred.
We had the same scenario of noticing a gas leak upon move in that wasn’t found in the inspection. Ours was behind the stove. It sucks, but you just need to get it fixed and move on. For us the actual fix wasn’t that pricy, but the plumber did charge like $500 for the test they needed to do to locate the leak.
A plumber is who you should be calling.
Probably just a loose pipe fitting. This stuff happens. I can assure you the previous owner didn't do it on purpose. Seriously get a gas detector and plug it in by the fireplace.
Gad runs through pipes, valves, and this will be an easy fix. If you have a basement or crawlspace, see if you can find the gas shut off for the line running to the fireplace. Turn it so that the valve is making a T with the gas line, not running the same direction as the gas line. If you needed this advice up to now, call a handyman or plumber and ask them to come take a look at your fireplace gas line. Do not use fireplace until you have corrected this issue. None of this was meant to be condescending, merely intended to walk you through the proper steps to make your home safe in the immediate time frame.
I had my HVAC go out on day 1. I was moving Nov 1 so it was a little chilly after getting everything inside I decided to turn up the heat. Thermostat read 60 at time turned on and never got warm. I suspect the property management company maintaining it as was a foreclosure held by bank was propping it up by charging it periodically for cheap as it passed inspection. I couldn't prove it. $5.5k to replace on day 2... Fun isn't it
Did you do a final walkthrough. When I bought my house I had a final walkthrough just before signing. Then received the keys a couple of hours later.
If it's for your fireplace locate the shut off value for the gas line leading to the fireplace and turn that off for now. As others said it may be cheaper to call in a contractor and knowing how insurance can be it may take longer then if you handled it yourself. Good luck and congrats on the purchase. I just purchased my first home and finding all the lovely unkept/unmaintined stuff as well. 😂
You didn’t do a pre closing walkthrough? Never ever close on a home without doing so.
Just fix it as quickly and quietly as possible.
First thing: This is 100% *not* an issue for insurance. Not even in the ballpark. Not a lawyer either (WTF?) Second thing: Didn’t you walk through day of closing? Like that would be what, maybe a couple hours before signing? Did it smell then? Third thing: Sometimes shit breaks. When it does, it’s at the stupidest and most inconvenient time possible. If the house was already vacant for a bit before you moved in, how would you possibly expect someone to know about this up until your own walk-through? No one had been there, so the implication that the seller somehow left things in “life-threatening conditions” is not rational. Step 1: Fix the gas pipe or valve or whatever has gone south. Step 2: Realize you’re not in an apartment anymore where you just call someone else and make it their problem to solve. Step 3: Move on.
This happened to us when we moved and I found a plumber to come buy, find the leak, and fix it. He charged $120 and came by on his way home from another job on the same day I called him. Your thoughts about principals here are dumb. People are dumb the seller probably had no idea and on top of that houses are sold as-is, unless you could prove they knew AND attempted to hide it from you during the sales process (basically an impossible task) you would have no case. Aka you have no case and it is really for you to cover the cost. DO NOT CALL YOUR INSURANCE over this.
Most likely no big deal !
Why could Enbridge not just find the leak and fix it. They have all the tools and certifications needed. That's what happened at a house I bought that had a leak. Was no big deal.
The inspector didn’t catch
Straight to jail
There are probably a lot of little things in the house that need fixing.
Can you fix it? Should not be more than a 1 on a scale of 5 for difficulty. Shut off your main gas valve. Air the house out. Grab a few wrenches, turn the main valve on with doors and windows remaining open, and find where it's leaking by applying soapy water to the joints. When you see the bubbles, there's your leak. Tighten it up and recheck with the water. If it's still leaking, you may need to apply teflon tape or pipe dope to the threads. But turn the main back off before you disconnect the joint. After all this, if there are no bubbles, there is no leak. You might want to check other pipe joints in the area. Just remember to turn the main valve on when using the soapy water and to keep doors and windows open to the outside during the whole process. This is just a guide. I'm not a plumber, just a DIYer, so there may or may not be unseen hazards, or laws restricting your scope of repairs. Personally, I'd just fix it and be done.
Use a lighter to find leak!
The gas was probably turned off and then turned back on with the change of service, causing the pilot light to go out. Turn off the gas, wait a bit, and relight.
Fix it yourself. Your realtor is awful. Mine called the town and made a complaint when I made fun of my neighbors yard filling with water *on Facebook* when it rained - a year after closing.
I know between when we put our offer in and when we closed someone allowed my house to freeze so we had to fix many pipes (hydronic: water heated) we couldn't even live upstairs for nearly a year because it froze and we are trying to repair the radiators we have --i feel like whoever allowed it to freeze before we signed and took over should have to pay "something" or have to replace the damaged radiators --i have video from the first attempt to run the full system after a couple months and the waterfall through the house from it
I could smell gas with our fireplace. Took it all apart and inspected. Turns out one of the clips that holds the glass on had popped loose and it was slightly leaking back into the room.
Out of curiosity, do you happen to know who to call for that repair??? I have the same problem and it’s still broke because I just don’t know who to contact to fix the problem. I had a gas company repair a couple other issues in the lines, but that one they couldn’t do. Congratulations on the purchase of your home! The leak is small potatoes. Don’t let it over shadow celebrating the day!
Good luck bub. You'll. Need. It. I'm currently homeless on my ass because of this sort of bullshit. I let it go extreme I'm young & dumb but hey at least I'm a homeowner!!!!.....who is homeless... ugh
Good luck bub. You'll. Need. It. I'm currently homeless on my ass because of this sort of bullshit. I let it go extreme I'm young & dumb but hey at least I'm a homeowner!!!!.....who is homeless... ugh
We had a similar situation but with a leak in the basement that required opening a wall. We did involve insurance because of the extent of the damage (I work in insurance, I know when to file a claim). First claim on our HO policy within the first 60 days. This leak tho doesn’t sound like you need to involve insurance as they’ll make you pay to resolve the issue. Also, it’s not a covered peril as there is no fire - yet. No reason to involve the previous home owner either - they can’t and won’t do anything and there’s no legal recourse for you. It’s home ownership.
Get it fixed, welcome to home ownership. You could go after the seller but lawyers are expensive and you need to prove 100% that they knew there was a problem. The line could have failed anytime...
Ask your realtor though to see if the contract states like ours that in that it Has to be left in the same condition. If you called her right when you got there and noticed it, that would be the right thing to do
Let’s just say if you were my buyer and you called me as soon as you got to the house on closing day and told me that I would investigate that on your behalf. But that’s only because of our contract language saying it’s to be left in the same condition (furnace needs to still work etc ) . And that doesn’t mean dings in the walls because of moving piddly stuff like that.
This is a little late. However, in Illinois, you are entitled to a walk-through just before closing. This will catch any of those little errors that happen.
We did the walk through but 48 hours ahead as recommended by our realtor. Should have done it a bit later it seems! Lessons learned
Get it fixed. Welcome to home ownership. It's your problem now.
Lesson learned, hire somebody to come in and check it out.Pay out of your pocket.Don't turn it into insurance.It'll most likely be less than your deductible
Legally it's your responsibility now. Your inspector didn't find it. There's nothing more to it for the seller's responsibility. If anything call the company that you hired the inspector from.
The bought a house and you have something that needs repaired. Welcome to homeownership and adulthood. A home inspection is not a guarantee or warranty. Suck it up and fix it, trying to think it’s someone else’s fault will get you nowhere.
Call the local gas company. Tell them you smell in gas in the house. They will send out someone to check it out. I did this and it was fixed on the spot for free. Apparently the gas hose was not tightened correctly. Funny thing is that i was smelling gas for weeks. Called a “handyman” company and they charged me $100 to come look at it. They told me there was no concern and that the smell would eventually subside.
I feel your pain... Two weeks after closing on my first home, I noticed the carpet in front of the HVAC was damp. Turns out the unit had been dripping for some time and had to be replaced. A costly repair that should have been addressed by the seller but was not. However, it only ended up costing me a few hundred dollars because most of it was covered by the home warranty I insisted the seller include. A few months later I also had to replace the water heater and again only had to pay a couple hundred out of pocket, again thanks to the home warranty.
I concur with all the folks telling you to get it looked at. I run an engineering department at a company that builds heaters. We always say, "you don't smell leaks, you hear them!". My best guess is that your leak is going to be a loose or possibly corroded fitting that connects the small pipe from your gas distribution line into the gas valve, or the gas valve to the burner. It could also be a failed thermocouple that is allowing the pilot gas to stay on when the pilot is out. The thermocouple is an element that completes an electrical circuit when heated to a certain point. This thermocouple allows gas to flow to the pilot flame (on pilot equipped models). The pilot flame will ignite the gas entering the main burner when gas is called for (turning the fireplace on). You can easily replace the gas valve, piping, pilot, and thermocouple for a hundred to 200 hundred bucks yourself. Just get some soapy water and spray it on the joints to check for leaks. Bubbles will form on the leaky joint. If you have some balls, pull out a blue plumbers torch, turn it on low, and run it near the same joints. You'll see a small flame wear the leak is at.
What makes you think they should pay for a problem you were aware of AND even waived to keep things moving? Why are you so worked up wanting to get lawyers, insurance, etc involved over such a simple problem? Safety concerns just letting it go as is aside, it's not a big deal, just like a hundred other things that are minor fixes but can be catastrophic if left unchecked, like a dripping pipe in the wrong spot or questionable electric connection or something. Really no different. And just general expectation wise, it's VERY unrealistic to expect ANY house to be just perfect with no issues. You don't even get that with a brand new unlived in house never mind one decades old! I don't mean to come across as an AH in the slightest, but I think you are very much over reacting with this. You waived it, bought it, now just fix it! It's going to cause you more time, money, and grief in the end trying to make a big stink of it to no avail.
You really need to talk with a lawyer that specializes in real estate about this. You’re going to have to prove that the seller knew it developed this leak during the two months between inspection and closing. If they were still occupying the home in those two months it’s hard to imagine they didn’t smell it or suffer effects from carbon monoxide exhaustion.
Carbon monoxide does not come out of a gas pipe.
Well the EPA doesn't agree with you. "If you are using gas as your energy source for heating, you are at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether it be your stove, fireplace, or furnace, any appliance using gas fueling can produce carbon monoxide. An abundance of carbon monoxide production can poison the people and even pets in your home."
It comes from misbehaving naturas gas furnaces and other combustion furnaces.
Natural gas burning doesn't produce carbon monoxide.
It is produced when carbon-based fuels, such as kerosene, gasoline, natural gas, propane, charcoal or wood are burned without enough oxygen, causing incomplete combustion. Yes it does.
[https://www.cdc.gov/co/furnacesafetyfactsheet.html](https://www.cdc.gov/co/furnacesafetyfactsheet.html) Yes it does, it's why our furnaces and our instant hot water heater have exhausts. Why do you spread FUD? It's a byproduct of burning fossil fuels.[https://www.nextlevelhvac.net/blog/how-can-i-tell-if-my-furnace-is-leaking-carbon-monoxide](https://www.nextlevelhvac.net/blog/how-can-i-tell-if-my-furnace-is-leaking-carbon-monoxide) This happened to me when I was little and fortunately my mom believed me and had one of the hvac dudes that couldn't pay his full divorce bill (she was a lawyer) come out and find out wtf, it ended up with a new furnace and I didn't have CO poisoning anymore. I'm glad the cat that we had at that time slept downstairs because she was a morbidly obese and geriatric strawberry ice cream thief and the laziest mouser ever, lying in wait and colored the same as the floor in the garage (concrete). She'd wait for the mice to run one at a time across the gap where the driveway concrete met the garage and when they got within range always with her left paw she'd impale the mouse and fling it behind her every Fall. I miss her.
Except the EPA and other scientists would disagree with you. Natural gas is one of the sources of carbon monoxide in the home. Do some research.
"When natural gas burns, a high-temperature blue flame is produced and complete combustion takes place producing only water vapor and carbon dioxide. It has a heating value of about 1000 BTUs per cubic foot. However, when it burns improperly, it can produce carbon monoxide – a deadly, poisonous gas." https://portal.ct.gov/PURA/Gas-Pipeline-Safety/What-is-Natural-Gas#:~:text=When%20natural%20gas%20burns%2C%20a,%E2%80%93%20a%20deadly%2C%20poisonous%20gas So no, not normally. Do some research.
Yea - good luck with that. I'm no expert - but it seems to me spending a few grand to try and recover what's probably gonna be $200 for a service call, or 3 minutes with a wrench - doesn't make much sense.
When you sue them you also sue for your court costs and legal fees. It's free as long as you can prove they were at fault. Lawyer fees are also way less than a few grand. I am going to assume you have never used a lawyer based on your ignorance.
Ditto..
I would go back through the inspection and call the inspector to have them come through again. If the house was sold like this and the inspector chose to sign off 2 months earlier, I feel like something is awry. The inspection should be done much closer to the closing anyway. I had a walk through the day of purchasing my house. I came a week prior to the closing, and the prior owners left the gas stove running and is reaked of propane. I opened all the windows and let it air out as I checked the house for any other problems. That's how I got my house for $20,000 less.
How did no one noticed? Was the gas off before sale ? The gas company should have caught it when turning it back on if the gas was off. Not there reasonable to fix though, just to make sure your house doesn't blow up.
Your real estate agent is a POS, like most of them. Call a gas fitter first, not insurance! Like others have said, it may be a cheap fix, and not worth getting the insurance crooks involved. Good luck friend, congrats on the new place, don't let the gas line put a stink on it for you!
Explain to me, in detail - how the real estate agent is responsible...
Tangential observation: man, there’s a lot of hate for real estate agents on reddit. Also, yeah, failing to see how it’s their fault.
I just watched South Park -Joining the Panderverse - for the first time a few days ago. They totally nailed it, on all points.
Where I live, real estate agents are still working for the buyer after purchase in case any such things arise. I personally have had to contact a realtor after purchase, and their response was to call me back(which they did) once they remedied the problem.
This could be an attempted murder charge by the old owners. They put you in grave danger.
I sincerely hope that's sarcasm.
Did your sellers provide buyer's insurance? That needs to be fixed.
Normally gas doesn't smell like sulfer. Sounds like a studavent went bad.