Whodathunk? NYC Natural Gas Facts

Many of our Brooklyn neighbors are turning to the use of natural gas for heating. It’s the same throughout New York City, which is encouraging the switch. According to a report prepared for the NYC Mayor’s Office, about 57 percent of the city’s energy use is already fueled by natural gas.

Despite the widespread adoption of natural gas, here are some facts about it you might not know:

• Natural gas doesn’t actually smell like rotten eggs. Companies add a chemical call mercaptan to give it that smell because it is naturally odorless. The odor is meant to make it easy to detect dangerous leaks.
• Natural gas is lighter than air. When cooled to -260 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes liquid, making it much easier to transport.
• The heat produced by burning natural gas is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). This is defined as the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of a pound of water by one degree
• A kitchen match gives off one BTU of heat. The burners on a gas stove produce an average of 7,000 BTUs.
• The first use of natural gas for lighting street lamps in the U.S. was in 1816 in Baltimore, MD.
• NYC law requires households to switch to using natural gas and other clean fuels and away from the use of the dirtiest grades of heating oils by 2030.

Although natural gas is clean and energy efficient for home heating, it does require proper maintenance and upkeep for safe use. That’s where the professionals at Petri Plumbing can help.

Our services include gas pipe leak repair and installation, fixture installations, gas system inspections, boiler repair, and water heater installation. We also provide a valuable emergency valve tagging service for free. We’ll properly label each shut-off valve in your home to make it easier to find the right one in an emergency.

We’re also oil to gas conversion specialists. Don’t fall afoul of city regulations requiring households to move away from the use of the dirtiest grades of heating oil. For a natural gas system tune-up and inspection, call Petri Plumbing at (718) 748-1254.