If you’re having a natural gas leak but no one can notice it, your home is prone to fire hazard and other kinds of accidents. Natural gas is highly flammable, and when you turn on the light, open your computer, or just a spark from your cigarette lighter can cause an explosion.

Is a gas leak dangerous?

There are times when you can’t even smell anything from your cooking gas, and you can’t notice something leaking until gas has accumulated around your home especially the kitchen. You might not know it, but there’s a leak in your gas tank, gas regulator hose, the gas regulator itself, or your burner. In this case, the following effects can happen if you can’t trace the problem immediately:

• A big fire – The worst that can happen is an explosion resulting to a big fire.
• Suffocation – Excessive exposure to natural gas can make you unconscious or in worst cases, death could follow if no one can attend to you immediately.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning – The symptoms of this poisoning are headache, blurred vision, upset stomach, and dizziness. Poisoning from carbon monoxide can lead to death if remained untreated. Once you feel any of these symptoms, move to an area where there is fresh air immediately, and shout for help.
• Other dangers – Gas leak can also cause nausea, vomiting and extreme exhaustion. Get fresh air as an immediate remedy to relieve you from these discomforts.

How to detect a gas leak

You can easily detect its additive because it smells like rotten eggs. However, if you’re having a smell disorder, you may not be able to discover the leak easily. This can be more dangerous to elderly people whose sense of smell may have decreased in their 70s. Installing a natural gas detector may be a smart decision for any homeowner especially for elderly people and persons having smell disorders.

Prevention and immediate solution

Make sure that installation of all your new appliances should be done correctly. Inspect your furnace, pipes, gas sources and old appliances periodically for any leaks. You can prevent a disaster to happen in your home by purchasing a detector for carbon monoxide to alert you on the presence of a gas leak.

If you want an expert to ensure that everything is properly installed and running smoothly, you can search for a company that offers flat rate on materials and labor with quality service.