Gas leak signs in the home However, if there is a gas leak in the home, a person may notice: the smell of sulfur or rotten eggs. a hissing or whistling sound near a gas line. a white cloud or dust cloud near a gas line.
A natural gas leak can create an explosion if there is an ignition source and the leak is severe enough. While this is fairly rare, gas leaks are incredibly dangerous and should be handled with urgency.
An explosion can occur when a gas pipe is leaking. In a confined space like a home or business, the gas will mix with the air, increasing the pressure of the space. When there is a spark or flame (even a static electricity spark might be enough) present, the gas will ignite, causing an explosion.
When the mixture of natural gas and air reaches the correct composition (between 5% and 15% gas) any spark or flame is enough to create a violent gas explosion.
Small gas leaks may not have a smell or other physical signs. However, if there is a gas leak in the home, a person may notice: the smell of sulfur or rotten eggs. a hissing or whistling sound near a gas line.
There Is the Potential for a Gas Explosion
Possibly the greatest danger of all that could result from a gas leak is an explosion. Even a small leak in a confined space that builds up over time can cause an explosion if there is a spark or some sort of ignition source.
And while the larger, more sudden gas leaks are more urgent and overwhelming, the smaller, slower leaks often go unnoticed. While you can't always prevent a natural gas leak in your home, you can learn more about how to find those smaller leaks.
The combination of a broken main and a heavy soil cap above it leads to the worst kinds of explosions. And sometimes it doesn't take long for the blast to happen, especially in the case of larger pipes. "It could be an hour, it could be three days, it could be weeks," he says.
For safety purposes, utility companies use an additive called mercaptan that gives colorless and odorless gases a smell that is hard to miss. Most people describe this smell as something like rotten eggs, sewage, or sulfur.
In its original form, natural gas is colorless and odorless. To help detect the smell of gas, a harmless chemical called mercaptan is added to give leaked gas a distinctive odor. Most people describe the scent like rotten eggs or a hydrogen sulfide odor.
Blue and Yellow Flame
As it relates to hydrocarbon gases, blue flame is indicative of complete combustion whilst a yellow flame indicates incomplete combustion.
Blast Injuries: A propane blast injury occurs when the pressure of the blast meets your skin. This can cause you to suffer a concussion, and can also rupture your eyes and ears. Inside your body, it can result in abdominal perforation and other traumatic injuries.
For small leaks evacuate at least 330 feet in all directions. For larger leaks evacuate 1/2 mile in all directions.
After you've had a leak, authorities typically recommend that you open up your doors and windows and let the home air out. Typically, you'll need to allow your home to air out for fifteen minutes to a few hours, but the exact timeframe depends on the severity of the leak and wind conditions in your area.
A small gas leak may not have a smell. However, if there's a gas leak in the home, you may eventually notice the smell of sulfur, similar to rotten eggs.
Inhaling carbon dioxide can easily result in fainting or feelings of extreme nausea and extreme fatigue. If a gas leak occurs at night while you are sleeping, there is a possibility that carbon monoxide would get into your system causing you to die in your sleep.
The substance injected is called mercaptan and gives off a strong sulphur-like smell, that some people say reminds them of rotten eggs. This gas smell is instantly recognisable to most people and provides potentially the most obvious and tell-tale early warning of any sort of gas leak.
Most gas leaks involve natural gas, and as a result, most of our discussion of gas leaks will center on natural gas leaks. Still, it's important to note that there are other sources of potential leaking gas in the home: carbon monoxide and propane.
Rotten Egg Smell
Natural gas and propane are odorless substances, but when gas companies add mercaptan to the gas, it gives off a strong rotten egg or sulphuric scent. This distinctive smell is one of the most recognizable signs that you might have a gas leak in your home.
If gas is leaking from a pipe, appliance, or behind a wall, you may hear hissing or a whistling noise. Sometimes you can hear this hissing sound from a loose connection. The louder the whistling noise the more substantial the leak.
If you smell gas near an appliance, it may be just a pilot light that has gone out or a burner valve that is open slightly. If you find this problem and can fix it, the problem may be solved. If you smell gas inside: Go to a phone that is not near the smell and call your local gas company right away.