On Sunday evening June 8, 2013, the quiet suburb of Beloit, Wisconsin was startled when the home at 2041 Meridith Drive exploded into a pile of rubble in seconds. Neighbors said it sounded like fireworks had gone off only to go outside and see the house across the street had collapsed. Several neighbors wanted to go look for survivors but feared further explosions.
Tara & Todd Purdy were both rushed to the local hospital suffering from severe burns. Tara Purdy suffered minor burns and Todd Purdy was left in critical condition at University of Wisconsin Hospital. Fire officials said one family pet died in the explosion while another lived.
The cause of the explosion was a “Do it yourself” gas stove installation. The Purdy family decided to save money on the gas stove installation by not hiring a licensed gas line contractor. They installed their new gas stove and connected the gas line but overlooked a section of the line that needed to be capped.
Local resident Michael Mayo said, “this is exactly why I hired a professional licensed gas line contractor to install my gas furnace 20 years ago”. James Riendeau said, “No, I think the take away is that if you don’t know what you’re doing, installing a gas stove yourself can be a dangerous proposition.”
Installing a natural gas line to your home is the best source of clean energy available. However, you might think doing the installation yourself or hiring a handyman might save you money but can cost you everything. Protect your family and your home, make sure you hire a professional licensed contractor for your gas line installation.
At RP Gas Piping in Phoenix, Arizona, natural gas plumbing is our specialty. Our gas line installation technicians are trained and certified to install your new gas line or fire feature safely. Our expert staff has an extensive working knowledge of all permits and city codes required for your gas line installation. RP Gas Piping, your gas line specialist.