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Stay Ahead of The Gas Company

3/5/2021

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2020 Highlights

1/4/2021

2 Comments

 
Without stating the obvious, 2020 will go down as a year like no other. With all the challenges at work and in our personal lives caused by the pandemic,  MBS Engineering has been fortunate to be considered an “essential business” which allowed us to continue working for you as gas leaks don’t stop during a pandemic! I am proud of my team as they have continued to be present and diligently show up for work each day, able to respond to our client’s needs. We also appreciate all our clients who have faced similar issues and chose us to complete their projects.
We know many of you and your businesses have been impacted by the virus in different ways and we appreciate the trust you have in us. I know that it has not always been easy to come to work each day or to stay connected for those who work remotely, but you have proven that when we work together, anything is possible!

In 2020 we worked for 22 School Districts and 11 Colleges and Universities, at over 100 different campuses, and we worked for dozens of customers in government, municipalities, housing, commercial businesses, hotels, factories, healthcare facilities and commercial contractors.
This year alone, MBS has installed 400 Seismic Shut-off Valves, performed 45 emergency gas leak repairs, completed gas surveys at over 100 different sites across California, installed over 20 miles of new gas piping, and performed more than 150 gas system projects including repairs, rebuilds and relocations, gas tie-ins, PG&E Backfill and worked on over 10 Dry Utility projects.

I continue to be humbled by the dedication of my team and the continued growth of MBS, but without you none of this would have been possible, thank you for your business this past year and here’s to a Happy New Year!
Brian James, President, MBS Engineering

Here are some of the notable projects MBS performed in 2020 -
Propane Fuel System Construction - Marysville Asphalt Plant- June 2020
  • MBS Designed and Installed a complete Propane system at the Marysville Asphalt Plant, complete with Liquid and Vapor propane piping, 10,000 Gallon Tank improvements, a Vaporizer Skid Install, Regulation & Measurement and the installation of new Gas Regulators and Meters.
​Gas Line Replacement - City College of San Francisco - March 2020
  • Install 600 LF temporary Gas Line to Keep Gas On due to Compromised Existing Line
Dry Utility Installation – City of Elk Grove, Railroad Street & Old Town Plaza Improvements -  Summer 2020
  • MBS subcontracted to perform the Dry Utility installation at the Elk Grove Railroad St. & Old Town Plaza Improvement Project​
Utility Installation - Mountain House Tech Center - January 2020
  • 2,000 LF Dry Utility Installation
  • PG&E Gas, AT&T Telephone, MID Electric & Comcast CATV
Gas Repairs - Navel Base Ventura County, Pt Mugu and Port Hueneme - Spring 2020
  • MBS worked to complete a number of gas repairs within the Naval Base Ventura County Pt. Mugu and Port Hueneme Naval Bases
Phase 2 Gas Line Installation - Marina High School, Santa Cruz - April 2020
  • Installation of 2,000 LF of 2” Underground Gas Pipe Replacement
2 Comments

Facility Managers - If you suspect a gas leak at your site, what is your next step? Do you know how to identify a Gas Leak?

8/31/2020

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​Not everyone is equipped to manage gas leaks! Smart facility managers know when it’s time to call in a specialist.
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At MBS Engineering, we’ve invested $150,000 in gas leak detecting equipment, and spent hundreds of hours training our team to become certified. MBS is your gas system specialist; we provide the best gas system surveys and repairs in the industry.
The need to maintain the health of your natural gas systems even during this unprecedented time, remains essential.

​​

Safety is paramount -
There are a few common problems that gas systems present that Facilities Managers should be aware of, and if left unchecked can lead to hazardous conditions.

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Common Gas System Problem No 1 - Gas Leaks
Gas Leaks are serious business, even the tiniest leak can grow over time. Combustible gases such as methane, pentane, and hydrogen are serious hazards and when present in sufficient quantities, can pose the threat of fire or explosion. Though not always easy to detect, there are a few common methods of leak detection a Facility Manager can use:
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1. Odor – if you smell it (gas), investigate it!
2. Vegetation – gas leaks can kill grass and vegetation
3. Sound – hissing sound
4. Insects – some are attracted to the components of natural gas or to the odorant added that makes gas smell
5. Gas Bills – unexpected high gas bills could indicate a leak in the system


The most effective way to find and detect gas leaks is to perform a Gas Leak Detection Survey. MBS Engineering is a natural gas contractor, we’ve performed thousands of gas leak surveys! We have the credentials and we are a trusted resource to many businesses including schools, hospitals, hotels, and commercial businesses.

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Common Gas System Problem No 2 - Maintenance

Neglected Maintenance is a common problem with gas systems. Proper maintenance is key, the health and safety of everyone is at risk if the equipment is not properly maintained. A good maintenance plan should include routine annual inspections and service. Many Facility Managers are busy and may lack the bandwidth to stay on top of regular maintenance.

MBS can set you up with an Annual Gas Maintenance Service freeing up your time, allowing  you to check that box off of your list. Our tailor-made Maintenance Programs includes: Auditing, Testing and Reporting on your gas systems. We will test, identify and prevent gas related issues insuring the reliability of your systems operations.

During the inspection, our technicians will inspect the following for gas leaks, signs of corrosion or wear and tear -


Gas Pressure Regulators – over time faulty regulators can venting gas out of relief vents, lock up and drop in regulator set point
Manual shut off valves – Can become corroded and frozen over time.
Seismic Shut-off Valves - inspection
Training – as part of our Gas Maintenance program, we also offer 2 hour of gas safety training for your team.

By managing repairs and maintenance on an ongoing basis MBS can provide consistency by developing an intimate knowledge of your equipment. We will repair or replace items before they cause any major problems.
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For more information on either of these services or to answer any questions, please call us at 925-334-7200 or email Laurie@mbs.engineering.


1 Comment

MBS Engineering - We Specialize in Gas Systems; It is Who We Are, and What We Do

5/28/2020

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A company founded on the principle of saving lives - it's as simple as that.

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Before Brian James founded MBS Engineering Inc., he served as a member of the California Seismic Safety Commission Task Force addressing gas leaks after earthquakes. He became passionate about educating the public that when an earthquake strikes, the reality is you only have a few minutes to address the gas leak before it turns into a fire or an explosion. 

​Utilizing an automatic gas safety valve that he helped developed; his drive was not about profit, but the satisfaction of saving lives and properties when the next “big one” hits California. If you envisioned a map of California and you dropped a pin on every structure that we have installed a gas shutoff valve on, you would be amazed.  Brian’s dream is to one day have his map completely covered with pins to know these families, businesses, schools, hospitals, and hotels are safe when the next earthquake hits.

With every installation we know that our customers, and the people whose safety they are responsible for will be safe. MBS has installed over 100,000 automatic shut-off valves on homes, commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, and colleges, and the number is growing every day.
  • In the last decade, MBS has installed more gas seismic shutoff valves than MBS Engineering any other company in the state of California.
  • MBS has completed thousands of gas leak repairs, surveyed hundreds of schools, hospitals, hotels, and commercial properties to find and mitigate dangerous gas leaks.
  • MBS has replaced and installed over 25 miles of new, underground gas piping.
  • MBS has assisted thousands of clients in feeling safe about putting their natural gas system safety in our hands.

We Specialize in Gas Systems, It's Who We Are, and It's What We Do.

​We are experienced in the areas of innovative gas line technology, gas infrastructure upgrades, emergency gas leak repair, temporary bypass solutions, state-of-the-art gas leak detection, natural gas safety programs, and first-hand experience of the dangers and risks specific to natural gas systems - MBS Engineering has emerged as authorities on the topic of gas line safety, system maintenance, disaster prevention, and gas system design and construction. Please follow us on Facebook and Linkedin.
1 Comment

Corroding Regulators

3/3/2020

1 Comment

 

Remember that underground regulator you installed at your site? Well, it is corroding and putting people in danger. 

Many schools don't know it, but natural gas pressure regulators (a necessary safety device put in place to lower gas pressure for your sites gas system) - are causing major problems due to improper design and installation within underground vaults throughout schools in California. I've learned the problem is complex; there is no code specifying where regulators have to be located, but I know they cannot withstand harsh underground conditions that can lead to major and dangerous gas leaks. They are just not manufactured to handle the corrosive environment, and usually the issues is not discovered until it is too late.

What's the result?

Debris, moisture, dirt and even squirrel nests, and actual pools of water fill the regulator vault over a number of years. 
Basically, in many Californian schools - natural gas pressure regulators are corroding, but since the regulators are not visible, not many notice them (and other pipe components). Unless you call a company like MBS Engineering to perform a gas leak survey, or perform a repair of these dangerous conditions, natural gas can become trapped within these enclosures, follow the path of gas line into a building, and worst-case, cause a gas fire or explosion. 
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What is a Gas Pressure Regulator, anyway?

A gas pressure regulator is a safety device that controls pressure, cutting a higher incoming pressure to a lower usable pressure for gas fed appliances or for flow through existing gas systems. They are a necessary component to any gas system, but always require regulator maintenance and replacements. The standard lifespan of a regulator is close to 7 years in optimum conditions, but if installed in an underground vault, these regulators can become faulty in under a year's time.
It's worth noting that leaks in small, enclosed places (like a 'vault') can fill the space with gas, creating a serious hazard for the safety of those in the area: faculty, staff and students.
MBS has performed regulator removal, replacement, re-installs and re-piping for a number of schools in California in the last month. Some of what was found would astonish you.
Let me help you prevent issues like these. I'm here to help you. I want your business. 
1 Comment

Gas System Surveys

1/30/2020

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Why do you need it?

What is a survey?

On average, we find 12 gas leaks at each K-12 school we survey. For colleges and universities, the average is an alarming 34 gas leaks per campus. It is your responsibility to maintain gas lines on your side of the utility gas meter. 
A gas system survey is a comprehensive, detailed gas assessment of your campus gas system and assets completed by MBS Engineering engineers and technicians. 

How does it benefit you?

What do we find?

A gas system survey identifies safety hazards, relives liability concerns, protects your students and facilities, provides a map and list of gas related assets, and delivers expert recommendations from our gas engineers. 
In my blog post, I talked about the scary results of unkempt pipelines. Old pipes weather and corrode from the elements over time, contractors take the cheap way out and use short cuts, the use of wrong materials, and poor, unqualified installers. It's scary how easy gas fires, or even gas explosions, can start as a result of unkempt or poorly installed gas systems.

The Gas System Survey Process

  1. Pre-Survey Work - Engineers review existing plans of the campus and produce a survey plan.
  2. Perform Gas Survey Work at Site - The trained and certified MBS technicians use utility grade leak detection equipment and assess every gas system on the site and record each leak/component. 
  3. Daily Report - I write and send the report within 24 hours of the survey. The report contains a full list of the leaks and gas components discovered, as well as an interactive map showing the locations of all the leaks and components. 
  4. Final Comprehensive Report - I also write and send the final report within a week of the initial survey. This report lists, in full detail, all leaks and gas components including recommendations made by our experienced gas engineers on the safest and most cost effective solution.
MBS Engineering is here to help and provide experienced, utility certified quality services to not only diagnose, but also repair issues within your gas infrastructure - keeping you, your facilities, and the number of people at your facilities safe and worry free.
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You're Never Going to Believe The Stories Behind These Deteriorated Pipes

1/30/2020

2 Comments

 
I never know pipes could look like THAT! What's crazy is that this pipe is only 8 years old and this leak could have easily been prevented. 

Now, think about how old your property & gas infrastructure is... do you think it's time to have your property's gas system assessed for issues?

In my weekly training class, we talked about how pipelines don't last forever. I was fully expecting to see pipelines that were damaged by backhoes, but instead were destroyed by mother nature. Time is not kind to buried pipes, that's for sure. 
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#1 Corrosion by Adjacent Electrical Line in the Central Valley 
This gas line was destroyed by what we call AC induced corrosion. It was buried right next to an electrical line, and the electricity bounced back and forth between the two lines, creating little pits in the gas line. Well, after a while, those pits turned into little holes, and we all know what holes in a gas line create - dangerous gas leaks!
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#2 Corrosion From Old Piping in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California
At a little league soccer game, parents started to smell gas, which led to a PG&E shutdown of the facility. MBS was called out and performed a gas leak detection survey, instantly detecting and pinpointing the location of the leak. The green coating tells us this pipe is likely from the 50/60's. With one little chip in the coasting, the soil and water ate away at the exposed metal, indicating atmospheric corrosion, which happens to all older, underground gas piping. 
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#3 Corrosion Due to Improper Installation in the South Bay
Sometimes, even the newest gas systems can have issues, especially if an inexperienced contractor installs the piping. This is a prime example of what happened in this installation, the corrosion can be seen on what is called a Poly or MDPE (yellow gas piping) to steel transition. The contractor that installed this transition used a pipe wrench to tighten this transition, scarring the coating in place that protects the metal. This pipe was only 8 year old, and you can see the level of corrosion that occurred simply from an installation error. 
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How does this happen?
  • Old pipes weather and corrode from the elements over time
  • Contractors take the cheap way out and use short cuts
  • The use of wrong materials
  • Poor, unqualified installers
It's scary how easy gas fires, or even GAS EXPLOSIONS, can start as a result of unkept or poorly installed gas systems. The result of a gas leak can be detrimental, don't ignore them!

MBS Engineering is here to help and provide experienced, utility certified quality serviced to not only diagnose, but also repair issues with outdated and aging gas infrastructure - keeping you, your facilities, and the number of people at your facility safe.
2 Comments

Gas Pressure Regulators In 'Vaults', Present An Unseen Danger To Schools

6/19/2019

0 Comments

 
The Natural Gas Regulator You Never See Can Be Corroding!

Many schools don't know it, but natural gas pressure regulators - commonly sealed under-foot - often need replacement. The problem is complex: there is no code specifying, precisely, where regulators have to be housed. They can go along the gas line, entering the building, or be buried in 'vaults', which architects for schools typically prefer, for aesthetic reasons. 

The result is that debris, moisture, actual pools of water, dirt and even squirrel nests, fill the 'vault' over a number of years. 

So, basically, in many California schools - their natural gas pressure regulator is corroding, but not visible. Unless you call a company like MBS Engineering to perform a gas leak survey, natural gas can leak into the enclosed area. 

What Is A Gas Pressure Regulator, Anyway?

It's worth noting that leaks in small, enclosed, places (like a 'vault') can fill the space with gas, creating a serious hazard for the safety of those in the area: faculty, staff, and even students. 

The corrosion we typically find includes damage to unions/fittings, stuck shut-off valves, piping that is corroding from the inside-out, or outside-in, and the actual regulators themselves. While regulators in open air do tend to weather/age better, that's not a total solution in itself: the truth is many times hard piping was used, when the school was built, and PVC is considered a better material, today. 

So, MBS replaces hard piping with PVC, and often moves the regulator location to right along the side of a school. 

MBS has performed regulator removal/replacement, reinstalls and re-piping for a number of schools in California in the last month. Some of what we found would astonish you. 

More information on Gas Pressure Regulators.
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MBS Engineering Works On BART

6/19/2019

1 Comment

 
​MBS Engineering is performing work at BART Hayward Maintenance located on 150 Sandoval Way in Hayward, CA. This BART facility helps to clean, maintain and service the trains that transport Bay Area citizens day in and day out. MBS, after performing a leak detection survey of the property, discovered that the gas infrastructure at the maintenance facility was past due for an upgrade, and in rough shape. After installing a temporary, above ground bypass to temporarily supply gas to the facility, MBS received the contract to make a permanent long term gas line installation.
 
Using a combination of gas line slitting, open trench and some mechanical piping over rooftops, MBS was able to complete this project in a timely manner, ensuring that all piping was installed to the highest standards and procedures. The total pipe installed tallied up to 2700 LF, as well as installing new gas regulators and manual shut-off valves at each of the 6 buildings as well as a new seismic shut-off valve at the main meter. MBS accommodated BART’s strict schedule and even worked nights and weekends to complete the job.
1 Comment

Does Your Earthquake Safety Plan Address Your Gas System?

2/20/2019

4 Comments

 
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​California is overdue for a large-scale earthquake. Did you know that a major cause of fires and damage during an earthquake are attributed to broken natural gas lines?
Who’s going to turn off the gas in the event of a large earthquake?
Are your Manual Shut-off Valves working properly should you need to turn off the gas?
Do you have Automatic Seismic Shut-off Valves in place?
Installing Seismic Shut-off Vales can answer these questions for you. They are essential to protecting schools and facilities from gas fires in the event of an earthquake. 
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​If you haven't installed Seismic Shut-off Valves at your school yet don't wait any longer.
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MBS Engineering, Inc
License #990872

12855 Alcosta Blvd.
San Ramon, CA 94583, USA
Phone (925) 334-7200
info@mbs.engineering
Hours: Monday - Friday,
7 am to 4 pm
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  • Home
  • Services
    • Asphalt & Concrete Services
    • Gas Leak Detection & Repair >
      • Gas System Survey
      • Gas Pressure Regulators
      • Excess Gas Flow Valves
      • Leak Detection Technology
      • Natural Gas Leak Survey Glossary
    • Excavation, Trenching, Grading >
      • Excavation
    • Plumbing Services
    • Seismic Shut-Off Valve Installation
    • Private Power Generation >
      • Cogeneration or Combined Heat And Power
    • New Construction & Re-Piping >
      • Horizontal Drilling Or Directional Drilling And Directional Boring
      • Gas Bypass Line Construction
    • Custom Fabrication
    • Gas Line Maintenance
  • Regions
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Northern California
    • California Central Valley
    • California Central Coast
    • Greater Los Angeles
    • San Diego
  • Industries
    • Hotels
    • Hospitals
    • Colleges
    • K-12 Schools
    • JPAs And Insurers
    • Commercial Segments >
      • General Commercial
      • Municipal And Infrastructure Gas System Construction And Maintenance
      • Federal And Defense Gas System Construction And Maintenance
  • Resources
    • Library
    • Graphics >
      • Gas Safety Response Flow Chart
      • Gas Turbines
      • Problems With Older Gas Systems
      • How To Spot A Gas Leak
      • What Is A Seismic Shut-Off Valve?
      • How Does Natural Gas Get To Us?
      • Natural Gas Basics
      • Exercising Your Valves
      • The Road To Gas Safety
      • Sustainable Energy Comparison Chart
    • Natural Gas Free eBooks >
      • Are You Liable For A Gas Accident On Your Property?
      • Earthquakes And Natural Gas Fires
      • Natural Gas And School Safety
      • The Coming California Energy Shortage
      • JPA And Insurer eBook
  • Contact
    • Careers
    • Photo Gallery
    • Blog
    • MBS In The News
    • About MBS Engineering
    • Line Card
  • Events