How To Detect A Gas Leak & What To Do If You Have One?

Natural gas is a wonderful resource for providing power to your home. However, a gas leak is potentially deadly due to its flammability and possible buildup of carbon monoxide.

If you have any gas-powered appliances or utilities in your home, it’s essential to recognise the signs of a gas leak.

Natural gas doesn’t actually smell. For safety considerations, suppliers add a distinctive odour to it. If you notice a bad cabbage or egg smell arising from your gas stove or heater, it could be a potential leak.

Orange, yellow or red gas flames are a sign of fuel not burning properly – and a risk of carbon monoxide. You may also notice blackened marks or soot around a gas appliance.

A ruptured gas line in the ground or floor of your house may present with a low floating white cloud. You may also hear a faint hissing around the area from the escaping gas.

An example of this is if your gas heater or stove keeps switching off or won’t turn on properly.

If you’re leaking gas, you’re still paying for it – your provider will reflect it in your power bill. Appliances and utilities will also use more gas to compensate for combustion problems caused by the leak.

A gas leak leads to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in your home. One of the first signs of this may be frequent headaches and nausea, dizziness, and breathlessness occurring in severe cases.

Take any evidence of a gas leak extremely seriously. Natural gas fumes are flammable and a cause of many house fires. A buildup of carbon monoxide in your home can lead to loss of consciousness and death.

If there’s a gas-related fire or serious injury, evacuate your home immediately and call emergency services.

If you suspect a gas leak and there’s no immediate danger, do the following:

• Switch off all your gas appliances and utilities (heating, hot water etc.)
• Open as many windows and doors as possible to clear the air
• Go outside and switch off your gas meter
• Move to a safe distance from your home
  

To prevent sparking a fire with gas fumes:

• DON’T turn on any electrical light or other appliances – even a torch to try and find the gas leak source is a potential danger
• DON’T light a cigarette, candle or any kind of naked flame

If you detected the gas leak around the gas meter itself, or you can smell it from the street, call Gas Leaks and Emergency services.

If you’re confident there is a gas leak within your home (from pipes or a specific utility/appliance), call a licensed gas fitter.

At Mid Richmond Plumbers, our experienced and licensed gas fitters in Lismore, Coraki & the Northern Rivers region provide emergency services 24 hours, seven days a week. Contact us today by calling (02) 6683 2281 to safely find and fix your gas leak.