How to Spot a Gas Leak
The world’s cleanest fossil fuel is natural gas, which when burned releases just carbon dioxide, water vapour, and trace amounts of nitrogen oxide. Over half of the homes in the UK have access to natural gas, which is a reasonably safe, efficient, and practical energy source that allows them to cook, heat water, and dry clothes. A large number of consumer appliances, such as stoves, dryers, fireplaces, and furnaces, are also powered by natural gas. Thus, it is very possible that one or more of your appliances at home are natural gas-powered.
Natural gas leaks can pose a serious safety risk. If your natural gas is installed or managed improperly, leaks could occur and endanger your health and the safety of your home. Moreover, other possible sources of toxic vapours in your home are gas furnaces, attached garages, and even poorly ventilated gas generator emissions.
You and your loved ones can protect yourselves and each other by adhering to a few basic safety precautions such as understanding what to do in the event of a gas leak or exposure.
Since the fumes are so highly combustible, gas leaks not only pose a health hazard but also have the potential to explode. We’ve put together this guide to help you discover and stop natural gas leaks, whether you have gas installed in your home or place of business or if you’re currently smelling vapours within the house that you can’t quite place.
Important Information
- Install detectors for carbon monoxide in every room in your house. In the event that the detector detects carbon monoxide, it will notify you of the issue with a loud beep.
- Keep an eye out for any hissing noises, white dust clouds or sulphurous smells, as these could indicate a gas leak.
- Open your doors and windows as you leave your house if you think there may be a gas leak
- Additionally, make an urgent call to 0800 111 999 or 0800 371 787 on a minicom or text phone to the National Gas Emergency Service.
Is Using Natural Gas in the House Safe?
Natural gas is a reliable and safe energy source when handled properly. Although using natural gas emits some greenhouse gases, it is still a more environmentally friendly option than burning other fossil fuels. To determine whether gas power is suitable for your home, compare gas versus electric water heaters and gas versus wood-burning fireplaces.
However, natural gas is combustible and can pose a safety risk. Inhaling natural gas can result in natural gas poisoning, and a natural gas leak in a home could start a fire. As with other potentially hazardous energy sources like gasoline, electricity, and other sources, natural gas exposure needs to be managed carefully.
Tips and Tricks for Gas Leak Detection
Here are the few tips and tricks on spotting natural gas leakages at your place. You can use natural gas by paying attention to these safety guidelines.
The Rotten Egg Odour
Natural gas is colourless and odourless in the unprocessed state. Gas companies add chemicals known as odorants to natural gas to make it smell like rotting eggs or sulphur, making gas leaks easier to find. Mercaptan is the chemical added to natural gases from your appliances, giving the gas an unpleasant smell that makes it easier for you to detect. Your stove, water heater, or other equipment could be near a gas leak if you smell sulphur in your house.
Older gas grills may have a slight odour when turned on. However, most energy-efficient grills manufactured in the past 15 years should not smell like this. Make sure the burners on your gas stove are fully off by checking them. If you smell strongly of sulphur, shut off the gas supply line immediately and exit the building
Natural Gas Alarms
If you have a natural gas alarm installed, check it. These are typically found next to gas appliances and are provided by your fire department or gas provider. Natural gas detectors will continuously beep or indicate “GAS” if they detect natural gas in your home. Whether your monitored alarm system seems to be sending out a trouble warning, check to see if the panel has picked up any gas leaks.
While carbon monoxide detectors can warn you when appliances burn natural gas, kerosene, or other fossil fuels poorly, they cannot identify natural gas leaks in your home. To ensure additional security, consider installing a carbon monoxide detector such as the battery-operated Kidde carbon monoxide alarm or the plug-in Kidde carbon monoxide alarm.
People with impaired senses of smell may not notice even significant gas leaks, and slow leaks may not release enough odour to be detectable. For these reasons, households with impaired senses of smell should use a natural gas detector to be notified when natural gas is present.
Hissing Sounds
Listen for whistling or hissing sounds from your pipes or appliances. It’s possible that loose connections are letting off gas, which you may hear. Look around your house and listen for a change in volume if you hear a faint whistle or hiss that you haven’t heard previously. You can be getting closer to a potential leak the louder it gets.
Not all gas leaks will produce sound; however, when the gas escapes through a small opening, it will hiss or whistle.
Colour of Flames
Check to see if your stove’s flames are orange or yellow instead of blue. Blue flames indicate that there is sufficient oxygen present for the gas to burn completely in gas stoves. Your cooker may be contributing to a gas leak if the flames are yellow or orange, which indicates that the natural gas isn’t burning cleanly. Your stove should be turned off immediately if you notice orange or yellow flames.
New gas stoves may initially have orange or yellow flames; if this colour persists, it should only be cause for concern. Don’t turn on your cooker to inspect the colour of the flame if you suspect there may be a gas leak.
White Cloud of Dust
Keep an eye out for any movement of a white dust cloud close to your gas lines. Despite the fact that natural gas is often colourless, a leak could create a little cloud of dust next to your pipes. Keep an eye out for any mist or clouds that you are unable to explain with other factors.
Dead Plants
If you’ve been giving your plants the attention they need, dead, withering, or stunted plants inside or outside your home may indicate that there is a natural gas leak. Examine your indoor plants to determine whether they’re dying. For plants to thrive, carbon dioxide levels can be restricted by gas leaks. Natural gas can displace oxygen in the soil, affecting plant roots, which can cause the plant to wilt. You may have gas leaking into your home if you find that your plants are yellowing or drooping despite receiving regular care. Smaller-than-normal tree leaves, wilting vegetation, and yellowing patches of grass can all be signs of natural gas leakage. To detect carbon monoxide, keep plants in places where gas leaks are frequent, such as your kitchen or beside a fireplace.
Higher Gas Bill
A natural gas leak may be indicated by an increase in the quantity of natural gas used in your home. Seasonal increases in natural gas consumption are expected when using a gas furnace; however, unexplained increases may signal a leak in or around your home.
Review your gas bills for the past two to three months to determine if there has been a significant increase. If you notice a surge in your gas bill, contact your utility provider to ensure there are no issues on their end. If everything is fine with your utility provider, inform them of the potential gas leak.
Adjust your lifestyle as needed. For instance, if you’ve been using your furnace more during the winter, your gas costs may be higher. Compare previous bills from the same period of the year to observe a more precise change.
Physical Signs of Gas Inhalation
Exposure to modest quantities of natural gas can cause headaches, nausea, exhaustion, and dizziness. Breathing irregularities can also occur. Natural gas poisoning, characterised by exhaustion, excruciating headaches, memory issues, loss of focus, nausea, loss of consciousness, and suffocation, can be caused by high levels of natural gas exposure.
As soon as you suspect that you may be exhibiting signs of a natural gas leak, contact a medical professional. Breathing in natural gas or carbon monoxide can displace oxygen in your body. If you begin to experience headaches, nausea, lightheadedness, or bodily pains without any apparent cause, check your gas lines and appliances for a leak. Other signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include reduced appetite, breathing difficulties, exhaustion, and irritation of the eyes and throat.
Try the Soapy Water Test
Combine one cup of water with a teaspoon of dish detergent to create a concentrated solution. Apply it to any suspected leak point, connection, or junction. Ensure that the bristles of a small paintbrush are fully coated by dipping it into the soapy water. Then, paint a thin layer of water around them. Wherever you apply the soapy water, look for bubbles. Bubbles will appear in the soapy water if there is any gas escaping from your pipe connections. If there are no bubbles at the connection, there could be a gas leak in one of your lines. Until you locate the cause of your leak, continue cleaning or misting the pipes with soapy water and monitoring for bubbles.
Use a Gas Detector
Using a natural gas leak detector is the most reliable approach to locate a gas leak. You can read about our selection of the best gas leak detectors, although there are many options available.
A portable gas detector can detect gas content in any part of your home. Walk around your home, monitoring the display metre. It will sound an alarm to alert you that the area is unsafe if it detects a concentration of 10% or higher methane.
Learn How to Turn off the Gas
There is a gas shutoff valve in every natural gas-powered home, usually located outside the structure. Ensure that everyone on the list of what to do in the event of a gas leak is aware of the location and operation of the shutoff valve. Stopping the gas supply prevents more gas from escaping, which helps protect people from natural gas exposure.
An essential safety tip for hurricanes is to be vigilant for signs of gas leaks during or after a hurricane. Hurricanes and other extreme weather events can jeopardise the safety of your gas lines. For added safety, consider shutting off the natural gas valve if you know a hurricane is approaching.
Ways to Prevent Gas Leaks
By performing routine maintenance on furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, and other gas-powered equipment, you can avoid gas leaks and other potentially dangerous sources of carbon monoxide. In addition, be proactive about identifying issues with the quality of the air in your house. Furthermore, ensure that all areas—furnaces, stoves, generators, etc.—that use gas are adequately ventilated. Not to mention, remember to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors once a year and set up a monthly testing schedule.
It is also crucial to know what not to do in the event of a gas leak, as well as what to do. Do not attempt to repair the leak yourself. Make professional contact at all times. Without the assistance of an expert, doing a do-it-yourself repair can be dangerous. Avoid using electronics within the home, including telephones, light switches, cell phones, and other battery-operated electronics.
HP Heating understands the threats associated with a gas leak and hence offers 24/7 emergency gas leak safety check and repair services. Our fast and professional service is configured to detect and efficiently repair gas leaks, ensuring utmost safety of our customers. If you notice a chemical-like pungent odour around your house or workplace, call us right away.
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