A home’s upkeep, and maintenance is no easy feat. It requires, time, attention, and vigilance. However, often times, Benbrook, TX, homeowners get so busy and preoccupied in their daily lives that they miss out on even the most basic of home care.
By the time they do get around to it, any repairs or malfunctioning that may have been corrected with just a little TLC or DIY cleaning, now require professional servicing with possible repairs, or even replacements.
Not only is that considerably bigger a headache to deal with, home maintenance, especially gas line repairs and complete replacements can make a hefty dent in your pocket. What’s more, a possible damage to the gas line creates a huge health hazard that could seriously affect you and your family.
In order to save yourselves from the financial setback and concern at a later date, it’s important that homeowners know and recognize the essential warning signs of a gas leak. Here are some of the most important of all the signs indicating a definitive gas line problem. If you recognize any or all of the below mentioned issues, it’s time to call in the professionals for a gas line assessment, repair, and possible replacement.
Feeling Unwell
Most people tend to chalk up their lethargy to a hectic day at work. However, if you begin to feel unnaturally lethargic in your home, are nauseous, and feel a sudden bout of dizziness coming on when you are in specific parts of your living space, it might be possible that there is a gas leak.
Natural gas, used in home appliances, ovens and stoves is particularly harmful to humans and can cause severe and lasting damage to your health. As such, it’s crucial that homeowners opt for a regular gas line maintenance done by a professional service on a timely basis.
Foul Smell In and Around the House
While gas itself is devoid of any smell naturally, Sulphur is almost always infused with natural gas to give it a noticeable smell for the sole purpose of helping in identifying a possible leak.
The smell of Sulphur is quite pungent – almost akin to that of rotten eggs. It is an odor that is definitely noticeable, however slight it might be.
A strange rotten egg type smell emanating from anywhere within or outside your home should be a very strong indicator that you have a possibly damaged gas line in need of repair on your hands.
Damaged Landscape and Vegetation in the Yard
Most gas lines run from beneath the front or back yard of a home. Since gas is obviously not good for plants, grass or any vegetation that you may have planted, the damaged or burnt out shrubbery becomes another very visible sign of a possible gas leak. If you happen to notice that the grass at any particular spot seems to be turning brown very rapidly, it could mean that that is the location of the leak.
A good trick is to try and water the dying plants. If you see the water bubbling, it more or less becomes confirmed that the underground gas line is in need of repairs.
Unusual Noises
All the appliances which operate on gas react adversely to a possible leak. If you hear unusually loud clanging noises coming from your appliances or you think you can hear weird hissing noises coming from within your home or kitchen, then it means that you need to investigate the possibility of a gas line breakage.
Improper Functioning of Home Appliances
Sometimes the home appliances such the ovens, stoves or the water heater tanks seem to randomly stop functioning properly. A majority of us are quick to assume that there’s a definitive fault with the appliance itself and are ready to write them off without properly investigating its cause.
A gas leak means that there is a lack of proper fuel flowing to your home appliances. As such, it can cause them to suddenly stop working properly. Before you replace your home appliances because they’re broken and no longer functional, we suggest that you switch off all of your gas appliances and then go take a look at your gas meters. If the meter is still running and recording gas consumption, it should indicate to you that it’s time to call the plumber for your gas line repair. This brings us to our next identifying sign of a gas leak.
Exceptionally High Gas Bills
If you’ve ever gotten the shock of your life in the form of an exorbitantly high gas bill without ever having changed your living habits at all – you should definitely be alarmed. Gas leaks mean that gas consumption is being recorded despite no gas actually being used by your home appliances. This can result in unnaturally high utility bills.
If you’ve noticed a steady surge in your monthly gas bills for a while ending with a sudden hike, this could mean that your minimal gas leak has potentially turned into a gas line break requiring immediate professional attention, repairs or possible gas line replacement.
If you’ve lived in your home for a significant amount of time and haven’t had regular maintenance checks on your gas lines, it could very well mean that your gas lines are old and prone to malfunctioning. However, regardless of the time you’ve spent in a particular house, it’s essential that all home owners opt for a timely professional servicing of their gas pipes.
To schedule yours today, please call 817-478-4119, or visit www.benjaminfranklinplumbingfortworth.com for more information.