What does a gas leak mean?
7 min read
Asked by: Kim Bock
Should I be worried about gas leak?
A natural gas leak in a house can cause potential fires, and inhaling the gas can cause natural gas poisoning. As with electricity, gasoline and other potentially dangerous energy sources, natural gas exposure must be handled with care.
What does it mean when you have a gas leak?
A gas leak is when natural gas leaks from a pipeline and then into an area where it shouldn’t be. Leaks are considered very dangerous since they can build into an explosive concentration. They can kill vegetation and trees, cause explosions and fires, and might release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
How can you tell if there’s a gas leak?
However, if there is a gas leak in the home, a person may notice:
- the smell of sulfur or rotten eggs.
- a hissing or whistling sound near a gas line.
- a white cloud or dust cloud near a gas line.
- bubbles in water.
- a damaged gas pipe.
- dead houseplants.
What happens when you smell a gas leak?
While exposure to low levels of natural gas is not harmful, long-term exposure can affect your health. Burning natural gas produces nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and methane. These chemicals can trigger respiratory problems, depression, and decrease the quality of your health.
How common are gas leaks?
Gas leaks are very common in our home. They can be very dangerous due to the increased chances of them causing a fire, explosion or even carbon monoxide poisoning. They can go unnoticed for a long period of time because some of them, such as carbon monoxide is colorless and also odorless.
Should you open windows if you smell gas?
DO NOT open your windows if you smell natural gas in your home! Natural gas is combustible only when it makes up 5-15% of the air in a given space. By opening a window, you might actually make the area more unsafe. DO NOT turn on/off any lights or appliances if you smell natural gas in your home or building.
What causes a gas leak in a house?
Popular appliances include your gas dryer, fireplace, stove, or water heater. Over time, the seals that connect and hold your home’s piping to these appliances can corrode and wear out. This corrosion and the breaking down of these seals and pipes can lead to gas leaks in your home or business.
Can a gas leak cause an explosion?
Often this is due to the following: Mechanical failure. The most common cause of explosions and fires associated with gas leaks is a mechanical failure of the gas containing equipment. When the failure occurs, the gas can leak creating fumes that ignite, causing explosions and fire.
How long after a gas leak is it safe?
After you’ve had a leak, authorities typically recommend that you open up your doors and windows and let the home air out. Typically, you’ll need to allow your home to air out for fifteen minutes to a few hours, but the exact timeframe depends on the severity of the leak and wind conditions in your area.
What smells like a gas leak but isn t?
Sulfur is often the cause of a gas smell in homes without gas leaks. It smells identical to the foul rotten odor of gas leaks, but it’s not nearly as harmful in this case. Bacteria found in sewage systems or your kitchen sink release sulfur over time, causing the smell to permeate your home.
What does a gas leak smell like in a house?
Natural gas and propane have a distinctive smell for a reason. For safety purposes, utility companies use an additive called mercaptan that gives the colorless and odorless gases a smell that is hard to miss. Most people describe this smell like something like rotten eggs, sewage, or sulfur.
Can cold weather cause gas leaks?
Winter can cause those pipes to leak because the ground shifts as it freezes and thaws. If a leak is not repaired, gas can get into homes or in some cases, explosions are possible.
How long after a gas leak is it safe?
After you’ve had a leak, authorities typically recommend that you open up your doors and windows and let the home air out. Typically, you’ll need to allow your home to air out for fifteen minutes to a few hours, but the exact timeframe depends on the severity of the leak and wind conditions in your area.
What should I do if I think I have a gas leak?
What to Do if You Suspect a Natural Gas Leak. If you smell a natural gas odor, hear the hissing sound of gas escaping or see other signs of a leak: Immediately evacuate the area, and from a safe location either call 911 or SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200. Don’t smoke, or light a match, candle or other flame.
Is it normal to smell a little gas near stove?
Keep in mind that, if the smell is faint, this is not necessarily a cause for alarm — it’s perfectly normal for a natural gas smell to linger if you’re lighting your stove or when the pilot light for one of your appliances goes out.
What should I do if I smell gas?
If you smell gas inside:
- Keep everyone away from the area of the odor.
- Don’t smoke or strike any matches.
- Don’t light any candles.
- Don’t flip light switches on or off.
- Don’t use a telephone.
- Don’t use any electrical equipment or lights that might create a spark in the area of the odor.
- Don’t use the doorbell.
What does it mean when you smell gas but no one else does?
An olfactory hallucination (phantosmia) makes you detect smells that aren’t really present in your environment. The odors detected in phantosmia vary from person to person and may be foul or pleasant. They can occur in one or both nostrils. The phantom smell may seem to always be present or it may come and go.
What smells like a gas leak but isn t?
Sulfur is often the cause of a gas smell in homes without gas leaks. It smells identical to the foul rotten odor of gas leaks, but it’s not nearly as harmful in this case. Bacteria found in sewage systems or your kitchen sink release sulfur over time, causing the smell to permeate your home.
Where would a natural gas leak come from?
A natural gas leak occurs when a gas line or gas appliance springs a leak. The natural gas in the pipeline seeps out and leaks into open areas. Natural gas leaks are more likely to happen with old gas lines that are exposed begin to corrode.
Is it safe to sleep in a house with a gas leak?
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Inhaling carbon dioxide can easily result in fainting or feelings of extreme nausea and extreme fatigue. If a gas leak occurs at night while you are sleeping, there is a possibility that carbon monoxide would get into your system causing you to die in your sleep.
What is the most common cause of a natural gas leak?
As mentioned, the most common cause of gas leaks is damage to underground utility lines. If you will be digging on your property, do it safely to avoid breaking gas utility lines (as well as other utilities like fiber-optic cables).
Can a gas leak cause an explosion?
Often this is due to the following: Mechanical failure. The most common cause of explosions and fires associated with gas leaks is a mechanical failure of the gas containing equipment. When the failure occurs, the gas can leak creating fumes that ignite, causing explosions and fire.
How many houses explode from gas leaks?
Estimates and Incident Descriptions
An estimated average of 4,200 home structure fires per year started with the ignition of natural gas. These fires caused an average of 40 deaths per year.
What does a gas leak smell like in a house?
Natural gas and propane have a distinctive smell for a reason. For safety purposes, utility companies use an additive called mercaptan that gives the colorless and odorless gases a smell that is hard to miss. Most people describe this smell like something like rotten eggs, sewage, or sulfur.
