Regarded as the most fatal and health detrimental aspects in house accidents, gas leaks are very hard to ignore as the statistics of the deaths and injuries caused by this tell an altogether different story. One of the most useful natural elements of today has its own set of precautionary measures to follow while working with it. In order to avoid any such mishaps, we need to know about the gas leaks and how to detect as well as prevent them.
- What is a Gas Leak?
- An almost compulsory necessity of our daily homes, Gas is a very important resource. Right from being used in heating appliances and in gas stoves, it is a very common yet most used element. Just like every other resource, it has certain ground rules to be followed to prevent dangers caused by it and one such issue is the gas leak.
- A gas leak is a result of faulty appliances and poorly fitted pipes. It might be hard to detect the gas leaks at first, but careful vigilance on the devices which use gas connection is mandatory.
- It is one of the most dangerous mishaps to occur, with almost minimal or zero signs of leak detection. And because of this many accidents have occurred in the recent times.
- The quicker the detection, the better it is for the health and safety purposes. And in order to detect such gas leaks, below are some of the identification methods.
- What are the causes of Gas Leak and identification of it?
- During times of flood and earthquakes, the gas pipe system may be distorted and the pipes may develop cracks which are minute yet prominent .Even the loosening of the fittings in gas lines can cause the gas to leak. Under such situations, it is better to close the shut off valve of the gas connection temporarily until there is plumber available to fit the gas line.
- The higher temperatures during summer may cause the pipe expansion due to overheating which leads to the pipes, developing cracks and thus the temperature variation might also lead to such leaks.
- As the time passes, the pipes get worn out, become old and thus lose their resilience, thereby causing the tears and cracks in a pipe leading to gas leakages.
- In order to identify the gas leak, the faint smell of gas needs to be observed. Although the odor is faint it is easily identifiable, unless there are other strong odors nearby.
- Other than the smell, if in case there are any plants growing nearby the gas line. They might be dead because of the pungent carbon monoxide fumes. So the dead vegetation is a sure sign of such leaks.
- The signs of irregular breathing, nausea, dizziness and such health related issues recurring frequently may also be a sign of working near a leaked gas pipe.
- How to prevent a gas leak after detection:
- The gas connection has to be checked from time to time as in a yearly check would suffice the prevention of such leaks.
- The above detection steps might be useful and will serve as warnings for the leaks. Nowadays there are certain alarms fitted to the gas pipes to denote the level of gas available and also an indicator to detect leaks if any. So it is better to get them installed along with the gas pipes.
- Always use a safe registered gas connection to prevent further problems and it is better to check for such safety seals before using the gas connection.
- Minimal joints of a gas pipe in the pipe work and testing pipe after installation prevent further mishaps.
- Role of a professional plumber in identifying repairing and preventing such leaks in the future:
- A professional plumber is very important in gas pipe fitting tasks because as it needs to be perfectly done and even a slight mistake can lead to serious health issues and sometimes even death.
- A thorough safety check will be performed by the plumber on all the appliances working on gas as well as the gas pipes after the repair and before the fitting also.
- There is a certification provided for the gas fitters or gas plumbers and basing on the level of work they are categorized. A person not holding a certification may also perform such fitting works provided he is assisted by a certified person all along the work.
- To prevent problems regarding the leakage it is better to hire a plumber for the installation of Gas Cookers, heating devices, hot water geysers and new gas lines.
- Usually unlicensed gas fitting is illegal and the manufacturer’s warranty and insurance cover will be void if any mishap occurs during an unlicensed plumber’s working.
- Plumbers and gas fitters are different in terms of the kind of work they specialize in. Gas fitters are specific to installing the gas appliances, while not all plumbers can do that task. So we should not hesitate about asking the specific license.
- Hiring a professional plumber will prove worthwhile in cases of reinstallation of faulty devices and providing warrant. This cannot be provided by all the plumbers and hence the little bit of extra money you put on this fitting task won’t go for a toss.
Although, gas fitting might seem like every other plumbing job it requires a certain level of expertise to work on the levels of pressure and pipe fitting. So a professional gas fitter or a plumber is a must for such works. When it comes to the health and safety of the entire family, it is better to spend those few extra bucks on a certified and professional plumber, than to face the consequences later. Moreover a proper guidance regarding handling a gas leak, preventing it from recurrence and other such issues will be well addressed and reassured of not recurring by such certified professionals way better than local tradesmen.
