How to Check for Gas Leak in Your House
How to locate a suspected Gas Leak in your House?
Info provided by a 10 year experience Gas Safe veteran engineer. Disclaimer: If you suspect you have a gas leak contact the Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 immediately.
How to Detect a Gas Leak?
A Gas leak at your business premises or house can be present for years if you don’t know how to spot them! There is in fact a permissible ‘drop’ on gas pipework which allows for up to 4mb of gas to be lost during a gas tightness test. This is a small amount and is only allowed if appliances are connected to the gas pipework as well. It does not apply to pure gas pipework which has to be fully gas tight. Larger gas leaks however can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal.
If you informed about possible warning signs that can precede or appear with a gas leak, you will be able to deal with it as fast as possible and get the problem fixed hopefully before any serious problems arise. This information is aimed to give you some Cliffs Notes tips on how you can detect and identify gas leaks in your home or business premises.
Can you Smell a Suplhur or Rotten Egg Smell?
Energy providers add a Sulfur type smell to domestic gas because naturally it is odourless. This is done so that people can smell the presence of gas and it is a great warning system, provided you know what to smell for!
If you do smell a strange eggy sulfur smell, and are sure its not your vegetables going rotten! Do not turn on any lights, or create a spark of any sort. The best advice is to open the windows and vacate your house as soon as possible and call the emergency number 0800 111 999.
If you are able to turn off your gas (it’s a red or yellow handle located very near to your gas meter > turn it 90 degrees so it is 90 degrees down to the gas pipe) then do so, but you must remember no lights so if its in the cellar, leave it to the experts.
The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
Another odourless and dangerous gas is carbon monoxide. This can be lethal and in small doses so it is vital to ensure all of your gas appliances are safety checked and , where applicable services at regular intervals. Installing a battery carbon monoxide alarm is standard advice for the modern home, they can be bought for less than £15 online. This will alert you in advance of carbon monoxide presence in your living areas.
If you don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm but find you are experiencing headaches, sickness, dizziness, fatigue, stomach pains or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.
Gas Leaks Make Bubbles!
A more suspect sign of a gas leak are unexpected bubbles. This could be at a pipe joint, on a pipe run etc. The same advice applies to suspected gas leaks. If possible isolate the gas supply (turn off) , do not touch any switches or lights, open windows and vacate the property, then call the emergency gas number 0800 111 999.
Gas Bill Increases?
Has your gas bill gone up significantly for no apparent reason? (as in your supplier cost is the same as before and your gas usage is the same as before?)
This could be a sign of gas leakage somewhere in the system. If you cant smell gas but suspect a gas leak, the best thing is to call a gas safe registered engineer and get the system tested for leaks. If there is a leak they will be able to tell and then rectify it or make the situation safe until the gas provider can attend.
