What should you do when you smell natural gas inside your home Obviously, the gas supplied to your home should remain safely contained inside the plumbing and pipes. The presence of a smell indicates a possible leak, which can be extremely dangerous. But what should you do if you smell gas inside your home?
In this article, we’ll talk about the steps you should take if you have a gas smell inside your house. First, we’ll talk about the reason for the gas smell in your home. Then, we’ll let you know what you should do if you smell gas inside the house. Finally, we’ll discuss who to contact for a potential gas leak.
The Reason Behind A Gas Smell In Your House
When your gas lines and plumbing are properly functioning, you should never smell gas inside your home.
Natural gas is chemically odorless, which can make leaks both impossible to detect and have the potential for frightening consequences. In 1937 an explosion caused by a leaking gas line in London, TX compelled the federal government to mandate the presence of odorants in flammable natural gas to prevent and protect people from future disasters. As a result, your gas company adds chemicals like mercaptan and other odorants to allow you to detect a leak if it occurs.
So if you’re smelling gas, you probably have a leak! Read on to find out what to do if you smell gas.
What You Should Do
Here is what you do if you sense a gas leak in the house:
- Evacuate The Home Quickly – Gas is supposed to be detectable at around 20% of the explosive limit. If you smell gas within your home, evacuate the house immediately.
- Open Doors And Windows – Doing so will allow you to clear out any gas that may have accumulated in the room.
- Avoid Turning Electrical Appliances On – Gas tends to accumulate in appliances that are on and connected and even turning on a light switch in some older homes can ignite the gas.
- Turn Off The Gas To Your Home – There should be a shut off valve located on or near your gas meter. Turn the shut off valve off so it stops the flow of gas to your home.
- Call The Appropriate Emergency Services – Gas leaks require professional attention. This means your local gas/utility company needs to be contacted along with a license plumber. Your gas company should be able to inspect your gas meter and inform you if there is a potential leak on your system. A licensed plumber, is experienced and licensed in detecting and repairing gas lines within the home. If you smell gas within your home act fast and call Show Plumbing at 281-860-2000, for a licensed technician to detect, repair or replace your leaking gas lines.