"Mike" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks.

I called my gas company. The technican came used a digital gas meter to
measure the amount of gas at the vent openning. The reading fluctuated
between 0 and 0.05. I don't know what the unit is. The technican said
"it's practically nothing" and don't worry.
As I smell now, I can only smell gas when I put my nose next to the
vent. But if I move away a few inches, I don't smell. (based on what
Stretch said this is normal)

Maybe what my kid smelt (which was a little further) was because of the
load changes.

Stretch's "NOTE" makes me feel much better. But some of the responses
said that there shouldn't be ANY gas out of that vent. So I am still a
bit concerned.

Do you guys think it's okay to trust what the technican said?

Well, that small of amount isn't a problem at this moment. However, any job
I'm on that has any leaking diaphram no matter how small will be changed out
or red tagged.

Its ridiculous to say that a leak on any gas control is 'normal'. That
regulator is on the utility side and they pay for the leak, do you think
they believe its 'normal' to have hundreds of millions of these across the
country to be 'normally' leaking? Besides, its just wrong to believe that
they are suppose to leak. Proof is the testing of the lines etc. The utility
performs a leak check and if there are any leaks it aint getting started.
Also, how did this tech determine that it isn't a small crack developing in
the diaphram that may eventually get bigger?

I'm satisfied that you called the gas company, and he told you the reading,
mark it down somewhere like on the furnace service lable. Then if it starts
to smell stronger call them again and see if the PPM's went up. I don't
think your going to have a big 'rupture' since the tech looked at it, but I
personally would have demanded a new regulator installed or threaten to call
someone higher up the ladder. The other side of that regulator may have over
5 pounds of pressure, thats a lot of gas that can purge if the diaphram does
break.