January 5, 2018
Yuck! Something smells like rotten eggs!
Gas can often give off an unpleasant odor, often described as rotten eggs or sulfur. While natural gas is normally odorless, gas manufacturers are required to add a chemical called mercaptan, which gives it that distinctive smell.
Smelling gas is a dangerous situation that you should respond to immediately. There are many horror stories of homeowners who have lost everything due to a gas furnace explosion or some other gas-related incident.
If you smell gas and can track it back to your furnace, immediately turn off the unit, evacuate the household, and call the fire department.
Contacting your local fire department and gas company is a good place to start. They will provide inspections, but not repairs. To fix the underlying problem, contact a professional heating company for emergency service. Rotten egg and sulfuric-like smells are clear signs to take immediate action before a fire occurs.
In addition to the danger of explosions and fires, high levels of natural gas can cause loss of consciousness and in extreme cases, death. Symptoms of natural gas exposure include dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and irregular breathing.
Contact your local poison control center if you feel affected by exposure to natural gas.
Here are some things that you can do if you smell gas in your home:
Learn what you can do to prevent home fires and issues with your gas furnace or gas line. Gas lines are often installed underground and stay reliable for decades. Over time, however, corrosion can occur, leading to unwanted and dangerous gas leaks. Gas leaks can also occur as gas travels into your home to power gas-burning appliances.
Knowing the signs of a gas leak will keep everyone in your home safer and provide general peace of mind. Educate your entire household on the signs of an indoor gas leak.
The smell of gas is often referred to as a rotten egg smell. This smell of rotten eggs or sulfur is not to be ignored. This is natural gas making its presence known. Another cause of rotten egg smells is a dangerous electrical situation. Follow the smell to identify where the smell is coming from and what your next action should be. To be safe, evacuate the household and contact your fire department to assess the situation.
You can actually hear and not just smell a gas leak if it is coming from a pipe or behind the wall. Gas makes a sound when it is leaking from the gas line. If you can pinpoint the smell and you can hear an associated sound, then be sure to take immediate action to prevent more gas from escaping.
If a particular patch of your lawn is dying (brownish, yellowish color), then an underground gas leak could be to blame. Some of your home’s outdoor vegetation inevitably sits above the gas line. If there is a slow leak, then the lawn or plants directly above will begin to die.
If you do smell, hear, or locate a gas leak, do not remain indoors. Seek immediate help from the fire department if it is an emergency situation. You do not want to use any appliance that could cause a spark. Preventing a gas fire is the number one priority once a gas leak is identified.
Professional HVAC companies provide annual safety and efficiency inspections of gas appliances and heaters that can be life-saving. Contact your local heating company for annual maintenance and inspection of your home’s gas heater.
We highly recommend scheduling annual heating and fireplace maintenance in the fall before the winter heating season begins. Learn why fall is the best time to schedule heating maintenance.
Service Champions offers an “$88 Precision Tune-up and Professional Cleaning” for either your air conditioning or heating system.
We provide precision tune-ups for all central air conditioning and heating systems and are familiar with all makes and models.
Contact us for your North California HVAC service: