Problems With A Gas Leak?
An Invisible Enemy
If you suspect that you have a gas leak in your home, or if you have noticed a gas leak elsewhere, you could be sitting on a potentially hazardous and lethal problem. Natural gas leaks can actually cause damage to the environment if not treated quickly. Because natural gas is often used as an energy source, this is gas that is then wasted, which is extremely wasteful in regards to the economy. In addition, because natural gas is primarily methane, it heavily impacts climate control. Methane is a greenhouse gas that can damage the ozone and clog the air. However, a gas leak can also impact your health.
The Gas In Your Home
Typically, homeowners use gas to power appliances like the stove. It can also be used to power the heater and to make your water run hot. However, if something goes awry, and you find yourself with a gas leak, it could damage your body. Essentially, the gas removes oxygen from the surrounding area. This causes you to breathe in less oxygen and start to experience symptoms of oxygen deprivation.
Some of these symptoms are headaches, dizziness, nausea, eye and throat irritation, fatigue, breathing problems, pale skin or blisters (although is only if the skin comes into contact with the actual liquid leak.) The same symptoms can also be observed in your pets. While small exposures won’t impact your health overlong, if you continue to have long exposure to it, it could greatly impact your health. Gas leaks can turn into carbon monoxide poisoning which could potentially kill you.
As such, it is critical that if you suspect that your home has a gas leak that you call professionals to examine the source of the gas immediately.
Signs Of A Gas Leak
Besides the symptoms that you and your pet may be experiencing, there are a few other indicators that your gas may be leaking. If you happen to have plants in your house, they may die due to the gas in the air and lack of oxygen. You may even want to place a plant close to the gas and see if the plant dies. If it does, that’s an excellent indicator that there may be a gas leak. You may also smell an odor like sulfur or rotten eggs. If you draw close to the gas source, you may be able to hear a whistling or hissing sound. This can mean there’s a leak.
You may also witness a white cloud, blowing dust, or even bubbles in standing water that wouldn’t normally be there. If you choose to inspect your gas line, look for any damage along the line that could indicate a leak.
What To Do
If you suspect a gas leak, open the windows and make sure you don’t close the doors. You don’t want the gas to build up in a room by cutting off the air flow and circulation. If the odor is especially strong, you should leave the house to risk damage done to your health. Once you are in a safe place, call the professionals to repair the leak.
It is especially important that you hire a reputable plumbing company to inspect the line. Not just when there is a leak but regularly to ensure that the line is healthy to prevent leaks from occurring in the first place. Too often, inexperienced plumbing companies can cause more damage than good. They might even end up being the cause behind the leak in the first place. As such, to make sure that your gas is properly maintained and the leak is prevented from occurring in the first place, be sure that you take on a reputable plumbing company.
In addition, after the plumbing company has taken care of the leak, you may also want to have them look at additional lines to ensure that everything else is working properly. Then have a home inspector ensure that your home is safe to enter and occupy once more.
With a high quality and experienced plumbing company on call from the beginning, you can be sure your gas lines are in good order.
