B737-300 CREW HAD AN APU PNEUMATIC LEAK DETECTED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT AS A HOT FLOOR IN THE AFT GALLEY.

Narrative

INCORRECT MEL PROCS. DISCOVERED APU BLEED LEAK AFTER FLT ATTENDANTS COMPLAINED OF A HOT FLOOR IN AFT GALLEY. RETURNED TO GATE; CONTACTED COMPANY AND CONTRACT MAINT. CONTRACT MAINT DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK AND INFORMED COMPANY MAINT. COMPANY MAINT CTLR SAID WE COULD GO; BUT TO CONTINUE PER MEL XA-O APU INOP. DISPATCH WAS ON THE LINE LISTENING SO WE DID A VERBAL AMENDMENT AND PROCEEDED TO SEA UNDER MEL. BECAUSE I WAS NOT TOTALLY CONFIDENT ON HOW THE SIT WAS HANDLED (IE; COULD THERE HAVE BEEN ANY INTERNAL DAMAGE FROM THE HEAT?); I ASKED FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE CALL WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH UPON REACHING SEA. AFTER LISTENING TO MY CONVERSATION WITH MAINT; DISPATCH CALLED ME BACK AND SAID HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE RELEASING THE JET UNDER MEL XA-O THEN ASKED FOR A CONFERENCE CALL WITH DISPATCH; MAINT; CHIEF PLT ON CALL; AND MYSELF. AFTER A LENGTHY PHONE CONVERSATION WITH ALL PARTIES; IT WAS AGREED TO FLY THE ACFT TO HOU AND GET AN ACFT SWAP. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS ACFT FROM SMF TO SEA UNDER MEL XA-O APU INOP. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY MISTAKE; BUT AS A NEW CAPT; I WILL NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WHEN DEALING WITH MAINT CTL WHILE OUT ON THE LINE. I AM ALL FOR 'KEEPING THE FLEET GOING' BUT THIS MAINT CTLR GAVE ME SOME POOR INFO TO SAY THE LEAST. THE DISPATCHER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS COMMON FOR MAINT TO MEL THE APU INOP FOR AN APU BLEED LEAK. IF THIS IS TRUE; IT SHOULD NOT BE CONTINUED.