Industrial gas line leaks and spills can be destructive to natural surroundings, but did you know that your home gas line can cause serious hazards to your home and your health as well?
It’s important that you check your gas lines for leaks every so often, especially if you smell gas in your home. Thankfully, finding a leak can sometimes be a simple process — although it may involve replacing your gas lines.
Steps to Find a Gas Line Leak
If you install a gas line yourself to a new gas appliance, it’s important to check the line for leaks. Also, occasionally checking old gas lines for leaks can keep your family safe. You can find some gas line leaks with a few easy steps.
- Apply a soap and water solution to the line connections and fittings
- Turn on your gas and look for bubbles
If you don’t find any bubbles but still suspect a leak, check your soft copper tubing for kinks. If the line has kinked, it’s likely it has also split. You should replace any copper tubing that has kinked in the area of the kink.
If you do find bubbles follow these steps:
- Wipe off the soap solution
- Tighten the fitting. (this may require cutting off some of the soft line and redoing the fitting completely)
- Apply new soap solution
- Check for bubbles again
If you still see bubbles, turn off your gas and disassemble the fitting. It may need to be replaced.
Keep Your Home Safe
Checking for gas leaks is important to keep your home safe. Gas leaks can cause you harm as well as potentially become the cause of a dangerous explosion.
One important note for your safety: never check for gas leaks using a match or lighter.
It might seem obvious to most of us, but using a match or lighter to check for gas leaks can be extremely dangerous. On top of being potentially ineffective for small leaks, it also has the potential to cause a dangerous explosion or fire if the leak is serious or has gone on for a while.
When checking for gas line leaks, always be safe. If you cannot find the leak but still suspect that you have one. Call a professional for help.
