What To Do During a Natural Gas Leak In Your Home

While natural gas is usually safe to use when it’s safely contained, gas line leaks can be very dangerous. If a natural gas leak occurs in your home, it can cause explosions, fires, death, and health problems, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and a loss of consciousness. If you suspect you have a gas line leak, you should immediately evacuate and call 911.

Due to the dangers of natural gas leaks, you should know the main signs of them and the four steps you should follow if you suspect one has occurred.

What Are the Signs of Natural Gas Leaks?

Since natural gas leaks are dangerous, it’s important to know how to detect them in the first place. To ensure you can detect a gas leak as soon as it starts, review the main signs of gas line leaks below:

• You smell rotten eggs: Though natural gas is odorless, gas companies add chemicals to their gas that make it smell like rotting eggs or sulfur. These chemicals make it so people can detect natural gas leaks. As a result, you should leave your home immediately if you can smell sulfur or rotting eggs. 
• You notice air bubbles outside your home: A less obvious sign of natural gas leaks is air bubbles appearing in standing water outside your home. When a gas line leak comes from your underground pipes, it can cause air bubbles to form in puddles and other bodies of standing water above the pipes. 
• You’re experiencing natural gas poisoning symptoms: When your home has a minor gas leak, the low levels of natural gas may cause symptoms like irregular breathing, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea. When a gas leak causes high levels of natural gas in your home, your symptoms may include memory problems, loss of consciousness, nausea, difficulty concentrating, suffocation, and severe headaches.
• Your gas-based appliances or pipes make hissing noises: Another common sign of a natural gas leak is a hissing noise. Major gas leaks will usually cause your gas-based appliances or pipes to hiss. If you can hear hissing coming from your pipes or appliances, especially if the appliances are turned off, you could have a gas line leak.

4 Steps to Follow During a Natural Gas Leak

If you’ve noticed any of the signs above, you may have a gas leak in your home. Instead of writing off the signs and going about your life, it’s best to play it safe for your health and the health of anyone else who lives with you. When you suspect you might have a gas leak, follow the steps below:

1. Leave Your Home Immediately

Never try to fix a gas leak by yourself. Since trying to solve the issue yourself can put you at greater risk, the first thing you should do is get everyone outside your home immediately. By leaving your home, you’ll lower the risk of explosions, fire, and worsening health issues affecting you and your family. Be sure to call emergency services after evacuating.

2. Open Windows and Doors

As you exit your home, you’ll want to leave your windows and doors open. Opening up your windows and doors will allow the leaking gas to escape and reduce the amount of gas build-up in your home. This reduction in gas build-up will lower the chance of fire or explosions, but it won’t make your home safe to reenter. 

3. Report the Potential Gas Leak to the Appropriate Authorities

Once you’ve gotten everyone out of your home and left your windows and doors open, you should call the authorities. Typically, you’ll want to call 911, but you might also contact your state’s natural gas emergency line or your local fire department. Next, a certified inspector will safely determine if your home has a gas line leak, cut off the gas supply with your gas shutoff valve, and recommend the next steps.

4. Contact a Trained Technician to Repair the Gas Leak

Once emergency services have shut off your gas lines, you’ll want to contact a plumber who’s trained to handle natural gas line leaks. This plumber should be able to detect where exactly the leak is occurring and solve it for you. Once they repair the gas leak and tell you that your house is safe, you can return home.

Here at Bonney, we know that a gas line leak can be a scary and disorienting experience. Our knowledgeable professionals help ease any customer nerves or uncertainty with our thoughtful Bonney Door Approach. You can view a step-by-step guide from our YouTube channel below:

Choose Bonney for Gas Line Repair Near You in Sacramento

If you’re looking for gas line services near you in Sacramento, Bonney has you covered. Our plumbers are trained to detect gas leaks and repair them, no matter whether they’re located in the attic, walls, or underground. Alongside repairing gas leaks, our team can replace out-of-date pipes and install new lines. We also offer coupons and financing options to ensure you can always receive our gas line services at a price meeting your budget. Learn more about our gas line repair, replacement, and installation services today. If you have any questions or need a gas line repair near you in Sacramento, please contact us.