Rather than being concerned with compensation, I would be more concerned with the next family this might happen to. In that regard, I would get the license number of the plumber who did the work (should be right on the invoice), contact that state agency that licenses plumbers (should be able to find out through the state’s web site) and file a complaint with any supporting documentation (many states will have the complaint form on their web site).
The complaint may include a request for damages. If not, there’s nothing to stop you from making such a request. However as a general rule damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress are considered “parasitic”. That means that normally you cannot sue ONLY for such damages. They must be incidental to actual damages (i.e., parasitic). There are exceptions where the emotional distress itself induces actual physical harm as a result of the stress, but such cases are very rare and difficult to prove.
Instead of concentrating on cash, why not ask yourself, “How could this have been prevented?” Obviously, a competent repair person would have made proper gas connections but you cannot control the actions of others. I have natural gas in my home and also have gas alarms that alert me in the event of a leak. Had this occurred at my house, the alarm would have sounded before the repair person left the home.
We do not live in a risk free society nor should we expect monetary compensation for every inconvenience we suffer but based on your description, that’s about all you endured because your out of pocket loss is zero.
You’re concerned with the potential danger the situation offered, but it didn’t materialize yet you still want money based on a ‘what if’ scenario.
Imagine another scenario with this repair person. You are standing at your front door as this person leaves your home and because he wasn’t paying attention, almost walks into you which would have knocked you down likely causing injury. Luckily, he missed you. Since the repair person wasn’t paying attention, he was guilty of negligence had you suffered an injury, would be liable for compensation. However, even though no contact was made, you were startled a bit and upset as well. How much compensation would you seek for that encounter?
I think you’re overly concerned with the unrealized potential danger of this gas situation as compared to what actually transpired and less concerned with actions you should take to prevent this from happening in the future.
I’m going to go with 0. Because you are angry doesn’t mean you deserve compensation. They made a mistake and they fixed the problem. A meaningful apology is good enough compensation. Demanding money when it didn’t cost you anything is ridiculous to me.
As a contractor, I would say that the homeowner wasn’t ‘on the ball’ and didn’t ‘figure anything out’. They passively smelled natural gas. The homeowner and the contractor share in common the desire that no harm to come to anyone.
The isn’t ‘lets make a deal.’ The contractor’s workers made a mistake. A potentially bad mistake. The homeowner has every right to be mad. The contractor has the obligation to make it right. $50-100 is a reasonable sum (if any at all) as a means of apology and the hope of keeping it off Angie’s List etc.
Asking for 2-3 times and 'settling in the middle is a crass shakedown.
eta/ftr
If that’s a standard 40 gallon water heater, the OP probably paid $700-850. There is a nominal markup on the tank and misc costs. The retail price of the labor component of that tank is probably only around $200-275. This ain’t hitting the lottery.
People make mistakes. YOU make mistakes. And before you say that you’ve NEVER made a mistake that could potentially kill someone, think again. I’m sure there was a time when you inadvertently swerved across a double yellow line or pulled in front of someone… and the only thing that saved you from an accident was the quick actions of the other driver.
Now, how would you feel if that other driver came back and wanted you to compensate him for the fact that it was only through his actions that you avoided hitting him? But because you acted stupidly, and because he got really, really scared, he wanted you to pony up a few hundred bucks?
Why are so many of you guys obsessed with how it affected the OP? That’s not the sole purpose for lawsuits. It’s also to create a grave enough consequence for the person doing it so that it won’t happen again.
And I’ll add that I hope some of you don’t respond the same way in real life to someone who has indicated they are so mad that they can’t see straight… I’d explain why, but surely you guys are intelligent enough to know what could easily happen.
What concerns me is that the OP smelled gas and then went and plugged in a fan. If you smell gas, do not do anything in the immediate area that can generate a spark. Don’t plug in or unplug anything. Don’t even flip any light switches if you can help it. Now granted, if the water heater that was installed had a standing pilot light, there already was a handy dandy ready to go boom ignition source, but if not, the fan might just have sent him skyward.
It sounds like the contractor has made a reasonable compensation offer. It’s quite likely that the leak was too small to really be a danger (remember – natural gas is odorless and the agent they use to scent it is specifically chosen to be noticeable in very small quantities). Even if it were, there was no damage and no one was hurt.
People, if you smell gas, open the windows & doors to ventilate the area.
Do not turn anything on.
Do not turn anything off. (that can cause a spark too)
Grab the phone, call your gas company, and then get out of the house. 911 is fine too; they’ll call the gas company for you.
Meet the truck outside, tell them where you smelled the gas, and let them make the area safe.
For everyone saying $0, checking for leaks is a significant aspect of providing plumbing service. The plumber/installer left the OP’s house in a dangerous condition by failing to perform a necessary part of the job.
They failed to perform the job to a reasonable standard of quality, they should offer a refund.
If there were any damages, I assume the company is insured to cover them, but since there aren’t any monetary damages, the only thing left to cover is the plumber’s relationship with his customer.
Hypothetically yes, if the concentrations were ju-uuust right. So have it your way:
Call from outside the house. Call from a neighbors house. Call from your car down the street.
Do anything but think “Ah, geez, another bill. Just what I needed. Well, I’ll look for a plumber in the morning.”
You want money or opinions? Mistakes were made, including the one you made.
But if you want money you must get yourself to a lawyer, you’d probably win something even if you don’t really deserve it, but wrapping yourself up in concern for the “others” that might be harmed might make you feel better about sueing. But just admit you want money to the lawyer.