Fixing my leaking shower

Emergency Plumbing : All You Need To Know About Gas Leaks At Home

by Andy Butler

There are a number of plumbing emergencies that every home owner has to watch out for. These include: blocked drains, frozen pipes, burst pipes, leaks, etc. However, gas leaks can be termed the gravest plumbing emergencies of all. Read about how you can detect a gas leak in your home and what you should do in response.

Risks of a gas leak

First, it's important to understand just how dangerous gas leaks are. A gas leak can easily cause a fire if the released gas catches a flame or an electrical spark. This will destroy your property and put any people in or around the house at risk. A gas leak (even when it does not cause a fire) will also cost you a lot of money in lost gas. At the very least, you may suffer abdominal discomfort or pain due to inhaling the toxic gas. In some cases, you may end up facing a legal investigation, especially where neglect is detected or there's resultant  3rd party property damage.

How to tell you have a gas leak

The most important thing to do is to detect that you have a leak in the first place. This will let you take the appropriate measures in time and curb the leak as soon as possible. It's not uncommon for people not to realize that their gas is leaking. There are a few ways to detect if you have a gas leak on your hands:

  • There's damage on your gas hoses, gas pipes or gas appliances, e.g. oven
  • Your gas meter is ticking when you aren't using any gas appliance
  • There's  a gas kitchen appliance turned on and there's no visibly ignited flame
  • You can detect a heavy pungent smell that upsets your stomach or smells like rotten eggs.

What to do when you detect a gas leak

If you detect that you have a gas leak, do not panic and act swiftly:

  • Don't light a fire to confirm the leak, that could be catastrophic!
  • Shut off your gas meter in order to contain further leaking.
  • Turn off your electricity at the mains. This will help reduce chances of a fire.
  • Open all windows for ventilation. This will help disperse the leaked gas outside.
  • Get out of the house.
  • Call an emergency plumber immediately.

On arrival, the emergency plumber will quickly diagnose the presence of the leak. They will then detect the source of the leak and contain it. This may entail replacing gas pipes, hoses, meters or disconnecting faulty appliances that are causing the leak.

Fore more information, contact an emergency plumber like P1 Plumbing & Electrical.

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