How Do You Know If You Have a Gas Leak?
A gas leak is one of those home problems that you hope to never have to deal with because it is one of the scarier ones. Unlike other issues that can just cause home damage if you don’t notice them right away, a gas leak can be a serious fire hazard. Enough build up and one small spark can cause it to ignite. Luckily, you will usually detect a gas leak before that.
Follow Your Nose
The best gas leak detector in your home is right on your face. As natural gas is otherwise odorless, it has an odor added to it called mercaptan. This smells similar to rotten eggs, so it is a stench you likely won’t miss. If you smell it anywhere in your home, even far from a gas-using appliance, you want to take action. While they are more common near appliances, gas leaks can happen in walls sometimes as well.
Trust Your Ears
While your nose is the best tool, you will also want to keep your ears open as well. Leaking gas can sometimes be heard as a very quiet hissing. Unfortunately, the hissing is more likely to come when a larger amount of gas is being leaked, so hearing it is actually more concerning than smelling it.
What to Do If You Have a Gas Leak
This is the question that most people don’t quite know the answer to. If you smell or hear gas, you need to take action right away. You will want to shut off the gas to your home at the main valve which can be found wherever your gas meter is. While it is perfectly acceptable to just evacuate your home and call the gas company after doing that, you may want to open windows to air out the home before doing so.
Never try to fix a gas leak yourself. It is dangerous and often you can make it worse. If you have had a gas leak in your home or need help installing gas-using appliances, contact us today to see how the Signature Plumbing Company can help.