If you allow the gas to build in your home, you're at risk of explosions and fire -- and toxic exposure. Make sure everyone knows the three ways to detect leaks by smelling, seeing or hearing it:
- Smell -- Gas providers add a noxious odor to gas and each responsible person in your home needs to know what it smells like. If you have a gas stove, you may notice that when the burner first lights, it releases a faint odor. Demonstrate to your children what it smells like by having them stand with you at the stove as you turn the burner on. You should also purchase a carbon monoxide detector.
- Sight -- Although it's rare, gas lines buried underground can develop leaks. If you notice plants dying around the area through which the line runs, the soil may be contaminated with leaking gas. Another way to sense these leaks by sight is to look at the soil over the gas line when the dirt is wet. If you see bubbles, gas could be leaking underground.
- Sound -- The most serious gas leak in your home may come from a leaking pipe leading to a gas appliance. If you hear a hissing sound, a pipe could have developed a leak.
Instruct family members to leave the home immediately if they smell, hear or notice gas leaking, and to never turn anything on or off -- with the exception of extinguishing candles, and to leave an exterior door open. Call 9-1-1 immediately or the gas provider's emergency number, which you can program into a cell phone.
The best prevention against problems with natural gas? Have your gas-powered furnace and other equipment inspected annually, which may reveal problems that are easy to remedy when they're small.
For more information, contact Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, serving the the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
Image via Shutterstock.com