What To Do If You Smell Gas On Your Property?

There are a number of warning signs that automatically raise the hackles of any property owner, with the pungent scent of natural gas very high on this list. The team at Matt Diamond Plumbing has a lot of experience dealing with these very tense situations and we offer the following tips as the best possible course of action.

The very first step to take is to make sure all children and other potentially vulnerable people are outside the house and kept at a safe distance. Even if the leak does not result in an explosion, the gas itself can be very harmful to the young and the elderly, as well as anybody with respiratory problems or other health conditions. You want to keep them as far away from the leak as possible. 

If there are any flames, use a fire blanket to extinguish them. Remember the pilot light on the water heater and any other household utensils. If the gas smells particularly strong, skip this step and simply evacuate the property. It will be a disaster if a gas explosion rips through your home, but the tragedy will be far greater if you are standing inside when it occurs. 

The most crucial step is to turn off the gas, ending the leak. If you're a natural gas user, this will mean turning it off at the gas meter, while for LP gas users, this will mean switching off the tank or cylinder. While you are there, turn off the electricity as well. With everybody out of the house, the gas is not particularly dangerous - unless there is a spark to ignite it.

Treading carefully, being certain not to create any sparks, you should now move back into the house and start opening all of the windows and doors. The purpose of this is to ventilate the area and drive the gas out. Your house will not be properly safe until the smell of gas is entirely gone. 

With everybody safe, you might be tempted to fix the leak yourself. Ignore that temptation! This is most definitely not a DIY situation. It needs to be handled by experts. Contact your gas distributor immediately or a professional contractor like Matt Diamond Plumbing. They will be able to determine both the location and cause of the leak, then set to work on making your home safe again. 

It's a point well worth repeating: gas leaks are not an issue for people to try fixing on their own. You need to get professional help when dealing with this one. Matt Diamond Plumbing has years of experience in situations like this and we know exactly what to do in a gas emergency. Once you are certain everybody within the house is safe, please don't hesitate to contact us so that we can set to work finding the source of the leak and patching it up to ensure the ongoing safety of your family.