Dumb Ass and the Case of the Mystery Smell
Joelle said at some point on August 16, 2007
I believe the mystery has been solved. At least, I’m pretty sure. I feel fairly silly and damn lucky I didn’t blow my house up.
While in the kitchen the other night, I was getting something out of the freezer and as I shut the door, I caught a whiff of The Smell again. This totally sent me into “Where in the hell is it coming from???” mode and I set off like a bloodhound in my kitchen, vehemently sniffing anything and everything. I must have looked like a total nutjob.
Finally, with my nose practically shoved into the burner, I discovered the culprit. It was the gas on the stove! The stove was turned ever-so-slightly left (even though I could have sworn I checked that like, 30 times) toward the “low” setting. It wasn’t even on the low setting, really. It was about a 1/4 inch off the “off” mark, no where near an actual setting. Yet, I had to bear in mind that the #2 setting on my stove sometimes seems like “high boil” because it’s a new stove and really efficient. It seemed reasonable that the stove was leaking a very small amount of gas that was being diluted by the many fans I have running. It makes perfect sense now that the longer I was away, the stronger the scent would be. It doesn’t quite explain why it happened when I left the windows open, but I’m not going to argue with it. Since I’ve turned the knob a quarter inch back to the “off” position, I’ve not smelled it. That had to be it.
What a maroon.
Moxie Design Studios™
from LSMO
Good thing you found it - gas leaks are no good! Wonder why you messed it being on? I do that sort of thing too.
duuuuuude.
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@GFI: fortunately not that big of a deal. it was SO minor of a leak. I couldn’t smell it until I stuck my face right down an inch from the holes. So don’t worry, I’m not going to blow you out of your apartment any time soon. hee!
@Cheri: yes, totally! I think I must have bumped it the knob and not realized it.
from Laguna Hills, CA • Cocktail: Cosmopolitan
YIKES! Good job locating that, Joelle.
Cocktail: Mudslide
Thank goddess you finally found the smell and were able to turn it off!
Les~
from hell
dude, that’s scary but totally get it. we were smelling gas on and off for 3 years. until we did our remodelling and the man’s cousin (who’s a contractor) said “put some soap on it, if it bubbles, you have a leak.”
and leak we did. so we were slowing killing ourselves for 3 years. lovely.
isn’t being an adult grand?
Whew!
from Hell (Phoenix, really)
I am glad that you found the gas leak; those can be scary. I have a very sensitive sniffer, but the wife is all like “I can’t smell anything,” when I notice an odd odour.
There should be a light or something beside the knob that states whether any gas, of any amount, is escaping. Like an “on” light. I blame the stove.