Gas explosion averted in Lower Heidelberg home; Green Valley owners urged to inspect basement lines

by Steve Reinbrecht

Officials are warning people who live in the Green Valley development that gas lines in their basements could break, resulting in disaster.

Plastic brackets supporting a metal gas pipe in the basement of a house on Pacific Avenue recently cracked, allowing the gas pipe to rupture, according to a yellow paper stuck on my mailbox Saturday.

Gas flowed into the house for hours.

No one was injured.

The notice urges homeowners to inspect their brackets.

In my house, built in 2007, white plastic brackets, spaced every 5 feet, support a 1-inch-diameter black pipe. None appeared cracked or faulty.

According to the notice, if the house was built before 2010, Grande Construction will make corrections at its expense. The company will contact homeowners.

For homes built before 2010, owners should fix the problem themselves or call a plumber. They can use inexpensive metal brackets from a hardware store.

The notice says that the building code was changed to require metal brackets after Jan. 1, 2010.

Grande Construction: 610-678-9925

Lower Heidelberg Township: 610-678-0818