Earlier this month, a gas leak at a pesticide plant in Visakhapatnam, India killed 11 and sent hundreds to hospital.
While it’s not pleasant news we want to share, the fact of the matter is that gas leaks are incredibly dangerous, and need to be addressed by a licensed gas plumber the moment you detect one.
There’s just one question: how exactly do you identify it?
What you may not know is how you can detect a gas leak in your home – not exactly a comforting thought.
Fortunately, our Bayside plumbers have extensive experience working with gas plumbing – over the years, we’ve noticed that there are a couple of telltale signs that indicate a gas leak in your home.
A gas plumber shares the most common symptoms of a gas leak in your home
1) Let’s start with the obvious one: smells
Can you smell that? If you can, don’t ignore it – instead, you may want to open your windows, leave your home, and call for assistance – now!
On its own, natural gas doesn’t have an odour. This represents a major problem – there’s no way to detect it without professional equipment.
It’s because of this that the vast majority of suppliers add smells to their gas. This doesn’t impact your gas appliances’ performance – however, it does enable you to detect gas leaks using your body’s in-built “gas detector” – your nose!
Picking up on a rotten egg smell? Odds are it’s gas.
Of course, that isn’t the only way you can pick up on a gas leak in your home. There are some cases where the leak may be so minor that the smell never gets to a point where you can easily detect it.
So, what can you look out for in those cases?
2) Hissing sounds
If you have sensitive ears, you may have noticed a very faint, high-pitched whistling noise.
The sound you’re hearing is the sound of gas escaping from a gas line.
Others may not be able to pick up on it, and may chalk it up to you hearing things.
If you ask us however, you shouldn’t ignore it – in some cases, this subtle and hard-to-catch sound could be a symptom of a gas leak in your home!
And if you only hear this sound near gas lines or appliances that use gas, take that as a sign that you should call a gas plumber in Bayside immediately.
3) Dead plants
Have you noticed that the plants in your garden are starting to wither, no matter how much attention you give them?
Just like with water, gas is supplied to your house by plumbing. Just like your water mains, your gas connection pipe tends to run underground, often running underneath your garden.
When these lines or pipes leak, it displaces oxygen in the soil and dries it up, starving your plants of nutrients. Deprived, your plants slowly die.
Noticed there’s one patch in your garden that refuses to grow? It could be gas that’s to blame.
While these underground gas leaks may not pose as much risk to your health, they can cost you in other ways – just think about how much gas (and money) is going to waste!
4) Unexplainable physical symptoms
One of the reasons gas leaks are so dangerous is the impact they can have on your health.
In most cases you’ll notice physical symptoms before the truly dangerous side effects start kicking in.
Gas leaks reduce the amount of oxygen in the air, which in turn comes with a range of issues:
- Breathing difficulties
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Nausea
A lot of these issues can be chalked up to other problems.
If your GP can’t find anything physically wrong with you to cause these symptoms however, it may be time to turn your attention towards your gas plumbing.
So you’ve detected a gas leak – what happens next?
So you’ve noticed one – or more likely, several – of these symptoms popping up in your house. What should you do next to keep your family safe?
In extreme cases, the first thing you should do is call triple zero (000).
In particular, if your gas leak has resulted in a gas fire, or if one of your family members is
- Otherwise, shut off your gas mains and appliances
- Open the windows to help air the house out
- Get to a safe distance
Once you’re at a safe distance, the next step is to call someone to fix the leak for you.
But who?
Call a professional – call a gas plumber
Did you know? Your local Bayside plumber can fix many-related problems for you!
That’s because while gas behaves differently from water, the way it’s delivered is exactly the same – just like water, gas is supplied using pipes.
And as experts in everything plumbing related, that means that your plumber is capable of fixing many gas leaks for you.
The vast majority of plumbing certificates nowadays include units, and many plumbers who got their certification earlier have upskilled to add gas plumbing to their list of skills.
In many cases, your plumber will be able to fix gas leaks for you… but there’s a catch. They have to be licensed to carry out gas work!
On top of their details, your plumber’s license will also tell you the type of work they’re authorised to carry out. If gas plumbing isn’t on that list, you’ll want to find someone whose license does include gas plumbing!
Our emergency plumbers in Bayside are also fully licensed gas plumbers
So you’ve sprung a gas leak. Don’t panic just yet – stay calm, follow these steps… and of course, get in touch with a licensed gas plumber in Bayside.
At Watermaster Plumbing, our team doesn’t just repair pipes – as fully-licensed gas plumbers, we can fix gas leaks whether they’ve popped up in your home or business.
With 20 years of experience under our belts – including plenty of experience fixing gas leaks – our gas plumbers in Bayside are ready to help.
Our emergency plumbing service ensures that you get the help you need with minimal delay.
Whether it’s a gas leak or a burst pipe, our team will dispatch the next available member of our team, ensuring that you don’t have to wait for long.
Get your gas problems fixed – call our Bayside plumbers today on 1300 156 650, and save our number in your phone for any unexpected plumbing emergencies.
Alternatively, click here to get in touch online!
You can also visit us for plumbers in Melbourne: pop into our headquarters at 9/22 George St Sandringham, VIC 3191, if you prefer a more hands-on approach.