Whether for residential or commercial buildings, a gas leak is one of the most hazardous types of damage that requires immediate attention. As much as gas leaks are extremely dangerous, it is also equally difficult to detect leaking gas, especially for the untrained eyes of regular homeowners.
This is why natural gas safety inspections are mandated by law every year. Since some gas leaks start out as odorless, homeowners often assume that all is well and only call the experts when the damage is already too severe or has done irreparable damage.
Spare yourself from this hard lesson. Read on to learn how regular gas leak inspections can save you and your home.
Avoid fires and explosions
If you’ve seen or heard any news of sudden combustions in houses, it is probably due to gas leaks. Left unchecked, gas leaks can cause fires and explosions since it is highly flammable. Residential properties are especially at-risk given the confined space and how common it is for us to use fire in our daily functions.
This is why aside from leaky pipes and clogged drainages, ensuring your gas pipes are also working properly and efficiently is one of the most important and even life-saving maintenance checkups you can do for your home.
Luckily, plumbing services nowadays often offer natural gas inspection services too. For instance, Shelton Plumbing has propane and natural gas leak experts that are readily available 24/7 to inspect your residential or commercial property, or even repair your gas leaks as soon as possible.
When it comes to fixing natural gas leaks, it is too important of a task to do it yourself. It is best to leave it to the experts and avoid irreversible damage to your life, your loved ones, and your property.
Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning due to a gas leak inside your home is more common than you think. In fact, 100,000 people in the United States fall victim to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, requiring emergency health services.
Gas appliances that are improperly vented can lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide, which is a toxic gas that can be deadly. Since carbon monoxide hampers your blood’s ability to carry oxygen to your brain, inhaling too much carbon monoxide can cause flu-like symptoms, passing out, or even death. Worse still, carbon monoxide is often odorless and colorless, so it is difficult to determine excessive exposure without tools or sensors.
Nowadays, a harmless additive is now added to natural gas to make it more traceable and noticeable once leaks occur. This additive often smells like rotten eggs or garlic and sometimes emits a colored fume so that even average homeowners or even trained animals can detect hazardous gas leaks.
Although carbon monoxide alarms are a simple yet effective measure to safeguard your health against prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide, having your home regularly inspected for gas leaks is still the most surefire way to protect yourself from the hazards of carbon monoxide.
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Avoid the hassle of inefficient gas appliances
If you notice your furnace is no longer working like it used to, a gas leak might be one of the culprits. Leaky gas pipes are not only health and property hazards, they can also shoot up your consumption of natural or propane gas due to inefficient piping.
One commonly-overlooked benefit of regularly having your home inspected for gas leaks is improving your home’s energy efficiency. Since most HVAC systems require gas-reliant appliances such as boilers and heaters, faulty pipes can result in these appliances requiring more gas, resulting in higher gas bills.
Aside from keeping your property and life safe, having your gas appliances regularly inspected for damages or wear and tear can also save you money and time in the long run.
Final advice
Gas appliances such as cooktops, ranges, ovens, stoves, and grills are just some examples of commonly-used household appliances that are often poorly connected to the gas line due to improper installation or have degraded fittings or connection due to wear and tear.
This is why you deserve nothing less than an expert natural gas plumber. A qualified gas plumber is equipped with the proper tools and knowledge to provide long-term solutions to your ongoing gas system issues. They are also experienced with carrying out accurate and comprehensive inspections to keep your home safe from gas leaks and improve your home’s energy efficiency.
When it comes to natural gas and propane, even the slightest symptoms of gas leaks can prove catastrophic. This is why mandates and policies on annual gas inspections, just like building codes, are written in blood and should not be trifled with. Regular gas inspections are simple yet effective measures to protect your property, your life, and your loved ones.
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