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Many homes throughout America and in Haslet, TX use natural gas in their homes. While usually quite safe, occasionally a gas line in your home can spring a leak and when it does it’s important to quickly identify that the leak has occurred and call a professional for a gas line repair. Natural gas when leaking can be a serious fire hazard and a dangerous health hazard. Odorless and colorless, natural gas supplies add a scent component to the gas that makes it smell like rotten eggs. While this smell is certainly not pleasant, it quickly can alert you to a gas leak and helps you identify the source of the problem so you can turn the gas off before making the call to your neighborhood plumber.

The first step in finding a gas leak in your home is to either catch the scent of rotten eggs or to be alerted by a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed in floor level outlets whenever possible. If you are concerned that children will play with the detector, then raise the unit up to chest height. Carbon monoxide is heavier than oxygen and so it will sink towards the floor making it most dangerous to pets and small children. It is also possible to find combination smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors. Many home owners choose to use these units instead of just carbon monoxide detectors. If your carbon monoxide alarm is alerting you to dangerous levels in your home you may have a gas leak and will need to call out for a gas line repair.

Another good sign of a major gas leak is a hissing sound near appliances that use natural gas as their fuel. If you hear a hissing sound near your stove or dryer you should take a moment to see if you can smell rotten eggs. If not don’t just assume that something else is the cause of the hissing. A gas line repair is fairly cheap in Haslet, TX and calling a professional to come out and check is worth every penny if it saves the lives of yourself and your family.

Some leaks are slower than others and may exist over a long period of time. One of the signs that you may have a leak and need a gas line repair is the color of the flames on your stove. While most stoves start out with yellow flames, a stove properly receiving gas will transition fairly quickly from yellow flames to blue. If the flames on your stove remain yellow and never transition then there may be a gas leak in the line to your stove.

Is your utility bill going up? If you haven’t noticed any difference in the color of the flames on your stove but your utility bill seems to be higher than normal you may want to call out a plumber and see if you need a gas line repair. While certain changes in lifestyle, such as a shift to winter weather, may cause your bill to rise, the constant stream of a gas leak will raise your bill significantly.

Do you struggle keeping houseplants alive? Do you keep your houseplants on the ground? Remember that carbon monoxide is heavier than oxygen and will begin to die off if you have a gas leak. In fact, consider keeping houseplants near your natural gas using appliances. Plants that are struggling to survive despite careful care may be a grim reminder of the dangers of a gas leak and may be warning you that you need a gas line repair immediately! While it may be sad to lose a houseplant to a gas leak, it is much better to have to buy a new one than for you or your family to get sick or even die from a leaking gas line.

When you are exposed to leaking gas or carbon monoxide it affects the way your body receives oxygen. This can cause a number of physical symptoms that you or your family members may begin to suffer from if you have a leak and need a gas line repair in Haslet, TX. Random body pain, headaches and nausea for no apparent reasons are signs of acute or sudden onset of carbon monoxide poisoning. You or your family members may also suffer reduced appetite, struggle breathing, suffer from extreme fatigue and have frequent eye and throat irritation. If you or your family members have any of these symptoms you may have a gas leak and need an immediate gas line repair. You or your family members should also seek immediate medical attention in order to avoid any severe side effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you suspect that you may have a leak that requires a gas line repair there are some safety precautions you should take. The first is to turn off your gas line and any pilot lights. Your main gas valve is found near your gas meter. Turning this off will also turn off your pilot lights. Open doors and windows to air out your home and bring fresh oxygen in but do not use any appliances, even electrical units in your home. If there is enough gas in your home even a small spark can start a fire. Leave your home and move across the street. Call the fire department and the plumbing professional at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing to let them know that you suspect there is a gas leak in your home. The fire department can come and check your appliances and locate the source of the leak safely while your plumbing professional knows how to perform a quality gas line repair and ensure that you and your family are safe going forward.