A gas leak is one of the most dangerous situations that can occur in a home. A buildup of natural gas can cause a catastrophic explosion that can be deadly to anyone in the home. The best way to prevent the possibility of a gas leak is to always have gas lines and appliances installed by a licensed professional contractor and have these elements inspected regularly.
The natural gas that is used in the home is naturally odorless and used to be hard for a layman to detect. To make it easier to identify a buildup of natural gas, a chemical called mercaptan is added to the gas before it is distributed to end users. This additive has the distinct smell of rotten eggs.
If you notice a bad smell in an area of your home near a gas appliance, such as your gas furnace, that rotten-egg smell might be gas. Smell is almost the only way for the average homeowner to identify a gas leak. On rare occasions a gas leak can cause liquids on the surface of the line to bubble, or it could blow an area of dust off the line. If you notice this coupled with a rotten-egg smell, it might be gas. There is also a chance that there will be a hissing sound coming from the line.
If you experience any of these signs of a gas leak, evacuate the home immediately. Do not make a phone call from inside the home. The electric spark in the phone may be enough to ignite the gas and cause an explosion. In addition, don’t touch any light switches or any other electrical appliance and extinguish any flames or heat sources in the general area. Then gather your family and get them out of the house.
Call your utility company as soon as you are a safe distance away from your home. Make sure you tell them that you suspect a gas leak. They will send a technician out to check the home and repair the leak.
For other home safety tips, please contact the Hampton Roads area experts at Russell’s Heating & Cooling.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about gas leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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