Gas companies, assailed by requests for detectors and repairs: “I just don't have room. Yesterday I got home at 10 at night”
After the tragedy in Rahova, specialized companies received a wave of requests from those who want to install gas sensors, repair their installations or just check them. The waiting time can exceed a month for an appointment. A gas distributor says in a response to HotNews that it receives 80% more calls to dispatch after Friday.
Work on gas installations inside houses or blocks of flats is done only by ANRE authorized companies. On the authority's website there is a list of 5,700 nationally accredited companies. Of these, 917 operate in Bucharest.
HotNews.ro contacted several companies that are authorized for such work, to see when an appointment can be obtained to check the installation.
“We can schedule you in about a week or two. We are very busy,” replied the representative of one of the contacted companies.
“Call back tomorrow and see how I can schedule you for the next few days,” said another plumber. After the HotNews reporter insisted on getting a faster appointment, he added: “I just don't have room. I got home at 10 last night, I'm no robot either.”
Waiting lists have been drawn up
This has led to the situation where entire blocks where problems with the installations have been discovered and where the distributor has shut off the gas supply are now forced to wait for weeks until a specialist comes to check them.
For example, in a block of flats in Sector 3 of the Capital, the gas has been turned off since Friday, after a tenant called Distrigaz. The association contacted several companies, but they all replied that after the explosion in Rahova there is a very large number of requests and some already have waiting lists.
In another block, in sector 6, the association scheduled a check by Distrigaz for Tuesday afternoon. Because a tenant did not want to open the door, the representative of the gas company showed that, in this case, he has to stop the supply and that only in a month will companies be available to carry out checks. At the urging of angry neighbors, the tenant finally opened the door and the Distrigaz employee was able to check the installation.
The number of calls to the Delgaz Grid dispatch center increased by 80% after the tragedy in Rahova
The average number of telephone notifications regarding possible gas leaks recorded at the Delgaz Grid company's emergency dispatch in the period between October 17-20 was about 80% higher compared to the period between October 14-16, the company's representatives stated, at the request of HotNews.ro.
Delgaz Grid is the gas distributor in the northern half of the country.
Also, between October 17-20, the average of natural gas supply interruptions was more than 3/day. The interruptions in the natural gas supply were necessary because the internal installations for the use of natural gas were not safe to operate.
Delgaz points out that, as a distributor, it manages, operates and maintains the natural gas distribution system composed of pipelines and street branches, equipment for measuring and regulating natural gas pressure.
According to the legislative norms in force, the responsibility for the maintenance and repair of faults in the installations in houses or blocks of flats belongs to the owner of the home, respectively to the associations of owners.
Under what conditions is the gas supply turned off in a building
As a procedure, if the company's emergency dispatcher is notified of possible gas leaks, a Delgaz Grid team goes to the site to check if the reported situation is confirmed. If there are gas leaks, the gas supply is stopped, for the safety of the tenants.
The administrator of the property in question, if there are gas leaks on the common installation, or the consumer whose internal installation shows malfunctions, is notified that he is responsible for remedying the defect through a company authorized by ANRE, so that, subsequently, Delgaz Grid can resume the supply of natural gas under safe conditions.
Delgaz representatives also say that they do not charge any fees for services related to the suspension/resumption of natural gas supply.
The resumption of the natural gas supply by the distribution operator is done on the basis of the record sheet of the revision works completed by the ANRE authorized company, which confirms that the installation meets the conditions of safe operation, the company being responsible for the works performed.
