10 Ways to Detect a Gas Leak in Your Home
If you notice a foul smell of gas in or around your home, turn off the gas at the gas bottle or meter, if safe to do so.
Extinguish any open flames and do not use telephones or any electrical devices.
Open windows and doors, for ventilation.
Here is a summary of ten ways to detect a gas leak in your home:
- Smelling rotten eggs
- Hearing a gas leak hissing noise
- Electronic gas leak detector alarm
- Gas bills more than usual
- Seeing moving dust or a white mist
- Yellow, orange, or red gas flame colour
- Scorching or soot in an unusual location on the gas appliance
- Gas pilot light keeps going out
- Dead or dying plants in the kitchen or near the gas appliance
- Feeling unwell
1. Smelling a Foul Odour Like Rotten Eggs
The first and safest way to detect LPG gas leakage is using your sense of smell.
The first hint would be the smell of rotten cabbage or rotten eggs.
To detect leaks, an odourant—Ethyl Mercaptan—is added to the naturally odourless LPG.
For safety reasons, the LPG gas suppliers add the Ethyl Mercaptan odourant to the gas mixture to help you detect a leak in your home when you smell the distinctive odour of gas.
Ethyl Mercaptan is a sulfur compound that provides that warning odour to gases such as propane, butane, and natural gas.
Natural gas and LPG are naturally colourless and odourless without this additive.
When gas leaks from wherever, Ethyl Mercaptan is mixed with the gas you inhale.
Most people think it smells like rotten eggs or rotten cabbage when there’s a gas leak.
There are a small minority of people who cannot smell Ethyl Mercaptan.
If you are one of them, you should invest in a gas detector, similar to a smoke detector.
If you notice a foul smell of gas in or around your home, turn off the gas, if safe to do so.
Do not use your phone or any electrical device.
Call emergency services (111) immediately, from a safe location.
2. Using Your Ears
Leaking gas from a small opening may cause a hissing noise.
Note that gas only produces hissing noise at higher flow rates, meaning a lot of gas fuel is leaking from the gas cylinder.
First, open windows and doors to ventilate the area then check near all of your gas appliances.
Once you determine the general area, you can utilise the soapy water leak test to identify the exact location of the leak.
Be sure to check all connections with the soapy water, as well.
However, we do not recommend this once you hear a hissing noise and smell the strong odour of gas.
Turn off the gas at the gas bottle or meter and leave the area immediately, turn off any open flames, do not use any electrical device or switch and remember to open all the doors and windows.
Call emergency services (111) from a safe location and let them inspect the situation further.
3. Electronic Detectors
Another safer way to detect an LPG or natural gas leak is via electronic gas detectors.
These work by allowing gas to diffuse through a membrane and a set of electrode detectors that slightly change current when the gas is chemically oxidised (or reduced).
In other words, when gas passes through the electrochemical gas detector, it slightly changes the current of the electrodes, tripping the alarm.
They can be stationary or handheld portables.
It has an audio alarm, similar to a smoke detector.
4. Higher Gas Bills
If you’ve been keeping track of your gas bills (utility pipes for natural gas and frequency of cylinder deliveries for LPG), you might notice an obvious spike if there’s an undetected leak.
Sometimes, gas cylinder leaks may be so small and subtle that you can’t detect them, but the meter doesn’t lie, and leaks may show up as increased consumption.
Remember that colder weather, additional gas appliances, or extra house guests can increase gas use, as well.
5. Visual Indicators (Mist or Cloud)
If you observe a white mist or cloud around your LPG gas bottles or gas appliance, it could indicate a gas leak or pipe rupture.
Swirling dust or particles may also indicate a constantly moving gas from one direction, which is often the source of the leak.
In these situations, leave the area immediately, turn off the gas if safe to do so and call for emergency services (111) from a safe location.
6. Flame Colour
A well-maintained gas appliance should produce optimal gas flow and combustion, producing a blue flame.
If you notice red or yellow flame on your burners, it could mean your appliance burner or gas jets need cleaning, or that carbon monoxide is produced due to incomplete combustion.
Otherwise, you may have a leak.
Gas appliances should be serviced once every two years or as frequently as the manufacturer’s recommendation.
7. Scorching or Soot
If you see scorching or soot in an unusual location on the appliance, it may indicate a leak when turned on.
For example, a burner connection that is leaking may create a flame in an unintended place.
This is a serious issue as a fire hazard and ignition already exist.
As soon as you notice scorching or soot stop using the appliance until it is serviced.
If you smell gas, also check for leaks.
8. Pilot Lights That Go Out
Pilot lights are small flames kept lit in a gas appliance.
They ignite the flowing gas to turn the appliance on and produce heat.
Whilst pilot lights are much more rare in modern gas appliances, they still exist.
Leaks are one cause for a pilot light to keep going out.
An intermittent pilot light becomes a problem because if left unnoticed, gas will keep flowing out of the leak location, accumulating in your kitchen or other space.
If the pilot light is suddenly relit, it may ignite the accumulated gas, which could cause a fire or even an explosion.
If you have this problem, it is time for a service call.
9. Dead or Dying Plants or Trees
Plants are very sensitive to atmospheric changes.
If an underground gas leak occurs caused by corroding pipes or other deterioration, plants or trees nearby may die from exposure to the gas. House plants can also be affected.
If there is no other obvious reason for the tree/plant problem and they are near or on top of a buried gas line, it is worth getting it checked with a gas detector.
Leaking gas may even affect indoor plants.
If you notice that only those plants near LPG cylinders and natural gas lines are wilting, it may be a sign to contact emergency services (111) to have them take a look.
10. Feeling Unwell Due to Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Nausea, headaches, difficulty or irregular breathing, fatigue, chest pain, flu-like symptoms, dizziness or light-headedness, and drowsiness can all be signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Typically, properly functioning gas appliances are quite safe.
A blue flame is one indication of proper function and complete combustion.
A red or yellow flame is indicative of a problem.
As discussed, malfunctioning units may cause incomplete combustion and produce carbon monoxide.
These are caused by clogged gas lines, rusted burner nozzles, an intermittent pilot light, or a gas appliance that needs thorough cleaning.
If you experience any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning while operating your indoor gas appliance, you should stop using it until it is serviced by your gas fitter.
Final Thoughts
Proper maintenance, observing safety procedures, and using appropriate gas leak detection devices can help keep you and your property safe and avoid fire hazards.
If you notice any subtle signs of a gas leak, turn off the gas at the meter or the gas bottle.
Also, if it is safe to do so, leave windows and doors open and then evacuate the building.
Do not operate electrical switches or other ignition sources, including telephones.
As soon as you are in a safe location, call emergency services (111) for assistance.
If there is a fire involved, just evacuate immediately and call for help as soon as possible.