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Understanding The Health Effects And Dangers Of Hidden Gas Leaks With Your Plumber Near Me | Houston, TX
Homeowners should remain vigilant if they have gas-powered appliances and heating systems. This is because dangers associated with hidden gas leaks can truly be troublesome. The gas supply lines leading into your home may also wear out because of different factors, resulting in leaks. Have you noticed a rotten egg smell near where the gas lines are installed? That is the smell of methyl mercaptan, added to the natural gas to help identify leaks. Hence, you should immediately call a plumber near me in Houston, TX to examine the gas lines, locate the leak, and patch it. Sometimes, the leaks might happen in hidden areas, making them difficult to notice. This exposes your home to various dangers, as you will learn below.
Health Effects and Dangers of Hidden Gas Leaks
There are many dangers of gas leaks at your home, which worsen if they are hidden. Therefore, it is a good idea to be conversant with the signs of gas leaks and their dangers to ensure that you take the necessary actions to prevent this. If you notice a gas leak at your home, you should immediately call a plumber near me to locate and fix the leak. Any health effects and dangers described below should act as both an impact and a sign that you have a gas leak. You should therefore take them seriously. The health effects and dangers of a gas leak include:
Unexplained Headaches and Migraines
Have you recently noticed an increase in sudden or unexplainable headaches among your family members? You should have a plumber near me inspect your gas lines for leaks. This is something many of the victims of hidden gas leaks experience. In most instances, these headaches or migraines will worsen when the victim enters a particular room. You might even notice that the victim feels better when they step or walk outside. This phenomenon is called sick building syndrome (SBS) and is mostly caused by poor indoor air quality. If either of your family members is experiencing this, you should call an emergency plumber near me to inspect your gas lines for the leak. When the professionals locate the leak, they will patch the system to ensure good air quality at your Houston, TX home and clear this health effect.
Fire Might Break Out from a Gas Leakage
This is most likely the sign that almost every other homeowner fears. Domestic heating is used for heating, which is highly combustible and flammable. These are the two main reasons natural gas is used for cooktops and furnaces. The leaking gas can ignite, causing a fire breakout. This fire spreads quickly into areas like the kitchen where the gas lines lead, consuming your entire home. Gas leaks and electrical faults are among the leading causes of home fires. However, you can prevent gas leaks by having a plumber near me visit your home to inspect your gas lines regularly.
The Potential for Gas Explosion
A gas explosion is potentially the largest danger of a gas leak. It arises then that a hidden gas leak has been happening for some time, and suddenly, a spark is produced. Such an explosion can result in catastrophic damages that could be fatal for everyone nearby. To prevent such an issue, homeowners are required to remain vigilant. Has there been a reduced gas flow in your home? Are the foods taking longer to cook or the water taking longer to heat? That could mean that the gas supply in your home is insufficient, which could arise from a leakage. If you have noticed this, you should enlist a plumber near me to inspect the lines for leaks and effect the required repairs.
It Can Be Toxic When You Inhale the Gas
A gas leak with high concentration can have effects similar to carbon monoxide poisoning. When LPG and natural gas leak into a home, they replace the oxygen in the air and limit the body’s capacity to absorb any available oxygen. Suffocation is the outcome at worst. Suffocation is a genuine risk when a gas leakage in your home. However, it would need a rather significant gas leak in a small space for it to happen. The most dangerous outcome of inhaling gas is suffocation. But even if suffocation doesn’t arise, breathing in gas fumes constantly will eventually make you feel nauseous and dizzy, among other unpleasant physical symptoms. Hence, you must have your gas lines inspected and serviced regularly by a plumber near me in Houston, TX.
Common Signs of Gas Leaks
Even with the hidden gas leaks, there still are things that you can see and deduce you have a gas leak. The most common signs of a gas leak can be classified into sight, smell, and sound. Below are some of the signs that it is time to call a plumber near me to patch a gas leak:
Smell: To begin with, natural gas is odorless. This is why gas companies add chemicals like methyl mercaptan to the residential gas supplies to help homeowners note any leaks. If you smell a rotten egg-like odor, that is a sign that your home has a gas leak.
Sound: Do you hear a slight hissing sound around where the gas lines are installed? That could mean that a gas pipe is damaged. Although you might not see the lines or even know where the sound comes from, an unexplainable hissing sound could indicate that air or gas permeates via a cracked or burst pipe. Regardless, don’t take chances. Hire a plumber near me to inspect the gas line and root them out as the reason for the hissing sound.
Stay Safe By Taking Measures to Avert Gas Leaks
The surest way of averting gas leaks is by regularly inspecting and maintaining your gas lines. Do you suspect you have a gas leak? Contact your emergency plumbers at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston for swift service.
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