Gas Leak Detection: How to Handle Gas Leaks

by Maria Williams Online Marketing Specialist

A gas leak is very dangerous, and proper care should be taken to fix the problem or get to safety as soon as possible.

Most homes use natural gas as a reliable and more or less safe fuel. By nature, it is colourless and odourless. Still, most companies typically add a trace amount of harmless chemicals, e.g. mercaptans, etc., to create a distinctive rotting eggs smell to help identify gas leaks. When you detect a gas leak at home, you must take certain steps to ensure safety. Here are the key measures recommended by many gas leak detection services:

Turn Off All Gas Appliances

One of the first things you should do when you detect a gas leak is to turn off all the gas appliances in your home. Next, cover the rubber tubes and pipes with soap suds to inspect them. When an air bubble forms, you will know where the tiny hole is located. It is recommended that you perform this inspection quickly and don't spend too much time on it. If you cannot identify the source of the leak, call professional leak detection services for help.

Don't Strike a Match, Turn on the Lights, or Use a Mobile Phone

Don't use a lighter or strike a match. When there is a gas leak, even a tiny spark is dangerous. All that natural gas needs are around 5-15% concentration in the air to catch fire and become a hazard. This concentration ratio is even lower when it comes to liquefied gas. Using a mobile phone or turning on the lights is also dangerous, so be very cautious.

Open All the Doors and Windows

Open all the doors and windows in your house to disperse the gas. If you suspect that there is still a leak, turn the main gas valve off and get out of the house. Call your gas company and fire department from outside of the house. It's a good idea to keep emergency numbers in your car so you can grab them safely in case you need to vacate the premises in a hurry.

Help Others to Safety

When you suspect or detect a gas leak at home, notify your family immediately and evacuate them outside. Make sure that your pets (if any) are safe as well. Rather than using a built-in escalator or elevator for disabled family members, help them down a flight of stairs. Using those contraptions is dangerous when there is a gas leak, as it might trigger a spark accidentally.

These are the things you should do to handle gas leaks at home. When professionals arrive, lead them to the potential leak source and leave. Don't try to enter the house before the area has been thoroughly inspected by gas leak detection services and cleared as safe. Also, always have gas detectors at home to easily and quickly identify leaks.

Call Sure Search for reliable gas leak detection in Sydney. The team will ensure your property's safety as they will find and locate any potential gas leak.