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Tips To Minimize The Dangers Of Natural Gas Leaks: Insights From A Plumber Near Me | Sugar Land, TX
Natural gas is the purest fossil fuel since it produces only small amounts of nitrogen oxide components, water vapor, and carbon for oxide. Thus, it’s a comparably safe and efficient source of energy. Most residential and commercial entities use natural gas to run their daily operations.
Currently, over 70 million natural gas customers are in the United States, including homeowners who rely on this gas for hot water, cooking, and heating. If you own a gas kitchen range, most probably your furnaces, clothes dryers, and water heaters are all gas-fired.
However, natural gas can be hazardous if not properly installed or maintained. Due to its highly combustible nature, any leaks could cause a fire to start in your home. Also, natural gas leaks can bring about serious health concerns for you and your loved ones. But, knowing the safety measures to take can help prevent gas-related risks in the first case.
Read on to familiarize yourself with five crucial at-home natural gas safety tips and how a master plumber near me can help you if you experience gas leaks.
Learn How to Detect Gas Leaks in Your Home
When using your natural gas appliances, it’s good that you watch out for any signs of gas leaks. Most gas-powered pipes and equipment can leak due to age. Thus, it’s vital to learn how to tell the signs and symptoms of a potential gas leak in the home. Knowing the steps to take after gas leak detection is equally paramount.
Should you detect any of the following natural gas danger signs in your home or suspect to be exposed, contact a certified gas leak repair plumber near me immediately.
- A hissing sound
If there’s a massive gas leakage in your pipes and appliances, you may hear a hissing sound even when the appliance is turned off. Always listen to your appliances and pipes to check for this sound. If there’s, contact a specialized plumber near me in Sugar Land, TX. - A rotten egg smell
Typically, in its natural state, natural gas is colorless and odorless. But to make it easy for people to detect it in case of a leak, gas companies include chemicals known as odorants to make the gas smell like sulfur or a rotting egg. If the rotten egg smell is too strong, then the probability of a gas leak is also high.
Of course, you may get a sniff of this gas mostly when lighting an old gas grill. With new, energy-efficient grills manufactured in the last 15 years, such a scenario is rare. A pungent rotten egg smell is a sign that you need professional gas leak inspection and repair from a qualified plumber near me as soon as possible. - Dead, dying, or stunted plants in the home
Suppose you’re caring for your plants the best way you can, but they’re stunted or dying. In that case, a natural gas leak in the home is likely the cause. The science behind this is that natural gas inhibits plant roots from absorbing oxygen in the soil, leading to wilting and eventually causing the plant to die.
In some cases, natural gas leakage may cause your trees to have smaller-than-usual leaves and the grass to turn yellow. Even though there could be other contributing factors to such plant issues, having a plumber near me come in for gas leak detection and repair is worthwhile. - Higher-than-usual gas usage
A spike in your normal gas usage could indicate a gas leak in your house. Except for seasonal increases, which will usually occur because of the increased use of gas furnaces, an unexplainable increase in the amount of natural gas usage in your home should point out an issue with your gas line. You should have the line checked by a certified plumber near me quickly.
Install Carbon Monoxide and Natural Gas Detectors in Your Home
It may be challenging to detect a natural gas leak in your home, especially where the gas leaks in low amounts. Again, even in instances of a high-concentration gas leak, individuals with a poor sense of smell may not tell it. That’s why homeowners need to install natural gas detectors to be alerted of any possible gas leaks in the house.
Installing carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in the home is also essential for maximum safety. Although they don’t detect natural gas leaks, they can help alert you when your appliances improperly burn fossil fuels.
Know How to Shut Off Natural Gas in Your Home
If your home uses natural gas, the gas shut-off valve is located outside the house. It’s best to ensure every household member knows the shut-off valve location and how to turn it off properly.
Knowing how to appropriately cut off the gas, especially in a gas leak emergency, can prevent further exposure. After turning off the valve, avoid going back to the house as much as possible until the issue is settled. A quick phone call to a specialist plumber near me in Sugar Land, TX can save you big time.
Keep Small Children Away from Natural Gas Sources and Teach Them About Natural Gas Safety
Ensure your young children stay clear of natural gas storage to reduce the risk of exposure. Also, It would be wise to enlighten your kids about the dangers of natural gas leaks.
Let a plumber near me know how they can spot unusual natural gas smells in the home, the effects of the gas, and the best approaches to take when potentially exposed.
Inspect Your Gas Appliances and Devices Regularly
Routinely inspecting devices and appliances powered by natural gas in your home can help identify and address any possible leaks early. Many appliances come with the manufacturer’s instructions on what to check and how often for improved natural gas safety. A trained plumber near me will conduct the inspections properly and safely.
bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston: Certified Residential Gas Leak Repair Experts
The above tips can significantly help you minimize natural gas-related hazards in your home. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston, we bring you the best in the market. What distinguishes us from the rest is that our plumbers are licensed and certified to conduct household gas leak detection and repairs in Sugar Land, TX, and its environs. For emergency assistance, call our helpline immediately!
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