How to Deal with a Gas Leak
Any fire - including a destructive inferno - starts with three things: a source of ignition, oxygen, and fuel. Whether it’s a car or the heating and fuel pipelines in your kitchen, a gas leak is extremely dangerous and can destroy life and property. The strong, pungent smell of gasoline is also very toxic, and can cause death by suffocation when inhaled for a long time. You should deal with gas leaks immediately before it results to serious, catastrophic consequences.
Extinguish Open Flames
Gas and fuel vapors are explosive. All a gas leak needs is a spark or an open flame to explode into an inferno. At the first whiff of a gas leak, you should take all the necessary precautions to prevent the fumes from coming into contact with an electrical spark or an open flame:
Switch off all appliances, and turn the circuit breaker off.
Extinguish all sources of open flame, like candles, cigarettes, and the pilot flame on gas stoves.
Avoid walking on shag carpets or synthetic carpeting to prevent your body from generating static electricity.
Turn Off Fuel Valves
Once you smell a gas leak, you should turn off the fuel valve at the soonest possible time. If you smell gasoline or diesel leaking from your car, park at the emergency bay or a wide-open field with no brush or vegetation, and turn the engine off. If you smell a gas leak in your home, follow these steps:
Take a moist handkerchief, towel, or shirt, and cover your mouth and nose with it.
Carefully make your way to the basement or cellar where the fuel pipeline is connected to. If you’re working in the dark, make sure to carry a flashlight.
Locate the fuel valve and turn it off.
The leak should stop after you have turned off the valve. Remember to very carefully turn off the fuel valve; the leak may be caused by a pressure problem. Unless the gas leak is very serious, there’s no need to play hero and risk breaking the valve at its stem.
Ventilate the Area
Once you turned off the valve, you need to clear your home of the gas or fuel vapors. Unless you live in a cramped area without adequate natural ventilation, do not use electric fans, air conditioners, or electric ventilation units to clear your home of the gas and fuel vapors. Instead, follow these steps:
Open all your windows and doors.
Leave the house open for as long as it takes for the gas vapors to exit your home. If you throw open all your doors and windows, it will take around six to eight hours for all the vapors to completely exit your home.
You may need to camp out to guard your belongings, or stay over a neighbor’s house if the gas leak takes place at night or the wee hours of the morning.
Have the Pipelines Repaired
You can repair minor gas leaks like plumbing jobs, but it’s still best to have leaking fuel lines and pipes repaired by a qualified technician, building contractor, or safety engineer. A gas leak is often a sign of corroded pipes, or a serious pressure problem building up in one or more sections of your fuel pipeline. If you don’t want to risk an accident involving overpressurized gas pipes and fuel lines, have the problem repaired by a professional.
The slightest whiff of gasoline or heating oil is a sign of worse things to come if you don’t fix the problem immediately. If you deal with gas leaks quickly and properly, you don’t have to think about what’s the worst thing that could happen.