You Smell Gas in Your Sydney Home. Here's Exactly What to Do Next.

One instance of plumbing disaster in which the wrong reaction can be deadly is a gas leak. Simply switch on a light in a gas-filled room to create a spark in an explosive atmosphere. These are the proper steps to take.

Natural gas is odourless. When you hear the rotten-egg odor you know is a sign of a gas leak, what you’re smelling is actually a scent added by the gas supplier, called mercaptan. That ol’ nose is your warning device and it doesn’t fail. Only if you get your response right when you pick up on it.

Nothing poses as much threat in any family than a leak in the plumbing is rep. a gas leak. This is the only common plumbing problem that can result in an explosion, a fire or death from asphyxiation. Other emergency situations, such as burst pipes, clogged drains and hot water unit failures, causes both damage to property and inconvenience. Gas kills people. Their answer should be commensurate with the risk.

The Moment You Smell Gas: Four Actions, In This Order

1. NEVER touch any type of electrical switch. This is the most difficult instruction to follow, since it goes against common sense. I know when things are wrong, I want to turn the light on. Don’t. When you close the switch in an electric circuit, a tiny spark produces a large quantity of electricity. That Arc is an Ignition Source in a room where gas has accumulated. If the same goes for exhaust fans, range hood switches, light dimmers, application buttons, and so on. When a light is already turned on, don’t turn it off. When off, leave it off.
2. Shut off the gas valve. The gas meter is typically outside the home, on an external wall or close to the boundaries or in the meter room (apartments). The shut-off is a lever or tap on the water inlet pipe to the meter. Rotate to close in perpendicular (across the pipe) position. Do not attempt this step if the meter is not within safe reach or if you don’t know the location of the meter; proceed to ventilation and evacuation.
3. Ventilate the space. Open all doors and windows that can be opened without turning on power. The purpose is to produce through-draught which will break up the gas that has accumulated. Do not use mechanical ventilation (air conditioners or fans). These do have electric motors that can spark.
4. Evacuee exits and calls from the outside of the building. Bring out everyone: family and pets, visitors. Contact your emergency plumber in a place not in the house where any gas that follows you will be released to the air. Avoid re-entry until a licensed gas plumber has tested for gases and is satisfied that it is safe to enter.

Common Sources of Gas Leaks in Sydney Homes

Knowing areas where leaks occur is important in knowing to respond quickly and describe the situation more accurately when you call for help.

Cooktop connections. Gas cooktops are attached to the supply by either a bayonet fitting or by a flexible gas hose located behind the gas cooktop. As the rubber in gas hoses can deteriorate over time, connections can become loose when accidentally bumped during cleaning and seals go bad. This is most likely the cause of leaking gas in Sydney kitchens.

Gas meter fittings. Gas meters and connections in the exterior are weather exposed. In coastal suburbs fitted joints develop micro-cracks due to salt air in the air which can cause corrosion faster. A leakage may not leak detectably away from the meter but can track into the building through the wall penetrations or gaps in the building envelope.

Gas-type hot water heaters. Valves, burner assemblies and gas storage and supply connections will wear over time. Keep in mind if the pilot keeps going too often, if the burner does not start easily or if there is a slight gas smell around the unit, these are all indications that the unit should be looked at by a licensed gas plumber.

Gas space heaters. Unflued gas heaters can develop gas leaks at the connection or within the appliance, especially if they are older and are wall mounted or freestanding, as many are in Sydney apartments. These heaters also create combustion by-products such as carbon monoxide, which is colourless and deadly in an enclosed space. Annually have an unflued gas heater serviced.

What About Carbon Monoxide?

Another hazard besides gas is carbon monoxide (CO) that is emitted by the same appliances. CO is generated in place of CO2 if the gas flame does not burn completely, which can happen from a blocked flue, inadequate ventilation, or owing to burner malfunctions. CO is a colourless, odourless gas. You can’t smell it. You can’t see it. And it displaces oxygen in your bloodstream, leading to dizziness, confusion, headache, nausea and, at high concentrations, death.

Worrying signs include headaches that get better when outside the house, dizziness or nausea among a number of family members at the same time, or if the burner flame is not blue but yellow or orange. When there is the possibility of CO exposure, everyone should be evacuated immediately and emergency services should be called on 000.

As part of regular gas appliance service, your gas appliance installer can check for CO. When you have gas appliances, especially older models and in an apartment unit with limited ventilation, annual gas safety checks are not a service of choice. They serve as a safety must.

After the Emergency: What We Check

Upon arriving at a gas leak call, we will arrive with our electronic gas detection equipment which can gauge gas concentration in parts per million. This is much more sensitive than the human nose, it can detect the presence of gas at levels lower than what a human nose could realistically be and it can localise the leak!

Thoroughly inspect all gas connections in the property: meter inlet, in-house gas piping, appliance connections, flexible gas hoses and gas valves. We locate the leak then repair it and/or replace the failed component and pressure test the whole gas system to ensure there are no further leaks. When the pressure in the system has been tested and the detector registers zero, we go ahead and clear the area for re-entry.

Any gas work done in NSW must be done by a licensed gas fitter. Holding all the necessary licences and issuing a certificate of compliance after each gas repair or installation. This documentation is legally required and could be requested by your insurer/strata manager.

If you take one thing from this article: the first thing you do when you smell gas is NOT turn on a light switch. It is counterintuitive, the most people get this one wrong and is the most important. Remembered procedures: no switches, turn off gas, air out, out, call from outside.