Not only is the smell of gas in the home an unpleasant smell, it also means you need to take action straight away since the health and safety of you and your family could be at risk. The smell of gas is usually evidence of a leak, and a team of plumbers who are licensed in gas fitting work will need to detect where the leak is coming from.

Fixzit Plumbing explain in this post some simple measures to identify a gas leak, what action to then take, where leaks originate, and how these leaks are repaired.

Do you smell gas?

If you smell gas from the street of your home, or before or including the location of your gas meter you should call the Orgin Energy Gas emergency supply number on 1800 808 526 who are responsible for repairing the leak if the leak due to piping that connects to your property. If the gas leak is coming from within the boundaries of your property, you will need to call a licensed gas fitter or plumbing contractor to investigate.

What to do if you smell gas in the home

1. Turn off all gas at the gas meter or cylinder. Gas meters are usually located towards the front of the home in a metal box, or in the front garden in a meter box. For natural gas, the supply valve is off when it’s rotated horizontally. This will have the handles at right angles to the gas pipe.

2. Turn off all gas appliances at the control point or pilot light for a hot water heater.

3. Open doors and windows, especially near the gas appliances which can include gas heater, gas ovens, gas stove and gas hot water heater.

4. Don’t use any electrical equipment in the area of a suspected gas leak.

5. Contact a plumber who works in gas fitting to detect the leak, repair any escape points and relight any appliances.

How to test for a gas leak

If you suspect you may have a leak, but cannot or only occasionally smell gas you can write down the gas meter readings before going to bed and then check to see if the number has changed in the morning. If there is no leak and no gas appliances have been used in this time the number should not have changed. Even if there is only a small leak, the costs to your gas bill can be significant.

How we repair leaks

Here at Fixzit our plumbers use a specialised gas leak detection device which has a sensor determining the concentration of gas, which gets higher towards the site of the leak. Often this is close to the connection of a gas appliance itself, in a section of pipe, or near the gas meter. The best method of repair is then determined and this work carried out quickly and safely.

Don’t wait if you smell gas in your home. Not only can it cause your gas bill to skyrocket, it’s also a health and safety risk to your family. Call the Fixzit emergency plumbing team and licensed gas fitters today on 1300 726 806 for all gas leak repairs and installation of gas appliances around your Brisbane home.