Our next entrepreneur is another one unique to North Africa.
New buildings here have natural gas lines plumbed right to their kitchens and hot water tanks while older buildings, like ours, rely on refillable natural gas tanks that need to be exchanged every so often. The tanks are just like the propane tanks we use in Canada for our bbq's but double the size and a fraction of the price. In our kitchen one of our cupboards holds the tank we use for our stove and every three or months or so we need to get a refill.
Along with the fruit guys and big item pick up guys, the natural gas guys go up and down our street with freshly filled natural gas tanks. Instead of yelling 'PEACHES' or 'BIKIA,' the NG guys bang their wrenches on the stacks of tanks in the back of their motor trucks or donkey carts. It makes for a true cacophony of sounds!
I've often questioned the wisdom of repeatedly banging a metal wrench on a metal canister full of a highly combustable gas but I've yet to see any large explosions so I imagine it's mostly harmless. Of course there is always the first time ...
Due to subsidies, a refilled tank is only around $3. We wish our hot water tank was gas as well as our electricity bills are significantly higher than our friends who have gas hot water tanks.
The first time we needed a tank exchanged our doorman exchanged it for us and then proceeded to also change out the old tank for us. I argued with him that I was very capable to doing it but apparently that is all part of the service. The final part of the service, after attaching the new tank, was to take a lit match and wave it around the nozzle checking for any leaks. I'll admit it made me quite nervous to see him wave a lit match around the tank but once again he assured it me it's all part of the service.
Thank you natural gas guys for keeping our stove lit!
New buildings here have natural gas lines plumbed right to their kitchens and hot water tanks while older buildings, like ours, rely on refillable natural gas tanks that need to be exchanged every so often. The tanks are just like the propane tanks we use in Canada for our bbq's but double the size and a fraction of the price. In our kitchen one of our cupboards holds the tank we use for our stove and every three or months or so we need to get a refill.
Along with the fruit guys and big item pick up guys, the natural gas guys go up and down our street with freshly filled natural gas tanks. Instead of yelling 'PEACHES' or 'BIKIA,' the NG guys bang their wrenches on the stacks of tanks in the back of their motor trucks or donkey carts. It makes for a true cacophony of sounds!
I've often questioned the wisdom of repeatedly banging a metal wrench on a metal canister full of a highly combustable gas but I've yet to see any large explosions so I imagine it's mostly harmless. Of course there is always the first time ...
Due to subsidies, a refilled tank is only around $3. We wish our hot water tank was gas as well as our electricity bills are significantly higher than our friends who have gas hot water tanks.
The first time we needed a tank exchanged our doorman exchanged it for us and then proceeded to also change out the old tank for us. I argued with him that I was very capable to doing it but apparently that is all part of the service. The final part of the service, after attaching the new tank, was to take a lit match and wave it around the nozzle checking for any leaks. I'll admit it made me quite nervous to see him wave a lit match around the tank but once again he assured it me it's all part of the service.
Thank you natural gas guys for keeping our stove lit!
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