Gas leaks are very dangerous in every household or establishment. They can be hazardous to the environment and it even gets worse if there’s a spark of fire during the leak. If you find a gas leak in your home, you must proceed with caution. Do not act hastily and remember to call a professional on time.
How Do You Identify Gas Leaks
Gas leaks can happen anywhere in your gas pipe system so you need to pay extra attention to detect a gas leak. To detect gas leaks faster, you should look out for these signs:
- Gas smell
Naturally, gas has no smell but for safety reasons, gas companies decided to make gas smelly by adding sulfur compounds. The moment you smell a bad odor like rotten eggs in your house, it could be that there’s a gas leak. Once you notice this, go to the kitchen and switch off the gas stove and then call a professional to come to take a look.
- A hissing sound
Whenever you hear a hissing sound from the kitchen or where your oven is, there’s a high possibility that it’s a gas leak. When you hear such sounds, check out your gas pipe system to identify where a leak might have occurred.
- Visible signs
Detecting a gas leak when your gas lines run outside the house can be difficult, however, you can detect a gas leak if notice dead grass around your gas line.
How To Fix A Gas Leak
You can either fix a gas leak yourself or call a professional technician. The best option is to entrust the task to a professional plumber because they have the skill, equipment, and knowledge to carry out a safe repair. Here’s how to fix a gas leak:
- Switch off the gas
The moment you discover a gas leak, the first thing you want to do is switch off the gas. Shut off the oven or stove first because they’re potential places where a leak could be coming from. The water heater is another area where there could be a gas leak. Locate the valves near the heater and switch them off. This will reduce any risk of open flames from the gas line to the water heater.
- Remove the outlet covers
Gas lines are usually covered by plastic covers for protection purposes so you need to remove the covers to access the pipes. By doing this, you’ll be able to find the leak and fix it. Another thing to note is that inhaling the gas is poisonous so if you’re going to fix it yourself, always protect yourself. Put on a gas mask and wear hand gloves while removing the outlet covers.
- Clean the line
You’ll need to clean the gas line for any impurities. The best material to use is acetone; it helps in dissolving and breaking down other substances. The liquid is highly colorless and flammable so it’s perfect for cleaning out gas lines. Acetone cleans rust that could lead to gas leaks in your gas pipes.
- Scuff the surface
After removing all impurities from the gas line, scuff the surface using sandpaper. The sandpaper helps to remove indentations and scratches on the gas pipe surface. Do this and clean the pipe again using acetone.
- Seal the leaks
After cleaning and scuffing the gas pipes, the next step is to position the pipes correctly and seal the leaks. You can use a seal and rubber tape to close the leaking points.
- Test run the gas line
Before you proceed to start using your gas line for normal household use, you want to ensure that all leaks are sealed and there’s no leak you might have forgotten to seal. Test the gas line by putting on the main valve in the gas meter and check for any gas leaks. If you notice none, then you’re good to start using your gas line system again.
Conclusion
This article has explained some steps to fix a gas leak. You might be able to fix a gas leak yourself but the best option should be to hire a professional gas leak plumber. A professional has the knowledge and expertise to fix a gas leak. At Rite Plumbing, we have professional plumbers on standby to provide emergency plumbing services whenever there’s a gas leak in your home.