Gas Leak Detection
Even if you don't have a gas leak detector in your house, you can tell if you have a leak in your house through the following ways...
Rotten egg fumes are in your house. Since gas is odorless in its pure state, the gas provider puts in a very distinct rotten egg smell to warn you if you have a leak.
You see dirt coming out of the ground, which means that an outdoor pipe has burst, or you hear a hissing noise.
Theres a good chance that you have a leak if the connections to a natural gas appliance are broken or loose.
When you find out the general location of the leak, the next thing you have to do is to pinpoint the exact source of the leak. You can easily do this by mixing some soap and water and applying it to where you think the leak is.
After you apply the soapy mixture you should start seeing bubbles, which will tell you exactly where the leak is located. You may be fortunate and have some bubbles coming from the connection, at the end of the tube, which means that all you have to do is tighten it a bit. Make sure not to shut off the gas valve, or you will have no gas to help you spot the source of the leak.
Some online sources of information tell you to immediately evacuate your house if you suspect gas in your house and others say that it is okay to stay and fix it yourself. What should you do? Use your own intuition. If the rotten odor smell is not that much, repair it yourself. If the smell is overpowering, by all means, evacuate your house and call 911.
Regardless of whether you stay or leave your house, you cannot use any electrical devices (this even means no telephone use). An electrical spark may ignite the gas in the air and make an explosion. It goes without saying that you should not smoke as well.
What if you do not smell or hear anything that points to a gas leak? How can you be absolutely sure that you do not have one? This is where gas leak detector products come in handy, which you can get at your local home improvement shop or online, and which go for around $50 to $300.
When browsing gas leak detectors, it is better if you first read user reviews, online, from sites such as Amazon. The main problem with these devices is that they make many false alarms. You want one with good sensitivity.