If you detect a rotten egg smell in your home, you should be careful because it’s often a sign of a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a rotten egg smell added to it so that you’ll be aware of any gas leaks in your home. Here’s how to determine if there’s a gas leak in your home and what to do if there is:
Only Happens When Running the Tap? You’re Fine.
If you only detect the rotten egg smell when you turn on your faucet, then there’s no cause for alarm. The smell emanating from your sink when you turn on your tap is called sewer gas. Sewer gas can be harmful, but only when a large amount is inhaled; that’s why plumbing has measures in place to prevent this gas from seeping into your home.
If you do smell sewer gas coming from your sink, it means that you likely have a broken drain pipe that needs to be repaired. While there’s no immediate cause for concern, it is important that you get broken piping fixed quickly so that it doesn’t burst and cause water damage or other problems. A reputable plumber will be able to repair the drain pipe for you so that you can breathe easier.
Have a Gas Furnace? Get Out of the House.
If you smell that rotten egg odor and you have a gas furnace, you should leave the house, turn off the gas, and let your home air out before reentering. Gas furnaces (and boilers heated by gas) are very dangerous if they begin to leak gas. A lot of gas may escape into your basement before the rotten egg smell even reaches you. In addition, if natural gas gets trapped in your furnace, it could lead to an explosion.
If you detect a rotten egg smell coming from your furnace, call in a plumber. Your plumber can detect the source of the gas leak and get it fixed if it’s due to broken piping. If it’s due to an issue with the furnace itself, you’ll need to then call an HVAC technician.
To prevent this issue from occurring, it’s a good idea to have a plumber check out your gas lines every year before you first turn on your furnace. That way, they can inspect the lines and fix any cracks so that they don’t become dangerous problems later on.
Gas Fireplaces
If you have a gas fireplace, that’s another place where the rotten egg scent may be coming from. Check to make sure that no one accidentally left the gas on. If you hear a whooshing sound coming from the gas main but you can’t turn it off, you should leave immediately. This is a sign that gas is leaking into your house at a fast rate. Get out, turn off the gas, and call your plumber.
Gas Stoves
Gas stoves are another likely culprit for gas leaks. Check to see if someone left a burner on or the oven on. If all knobs are off and you still detect the smell, this also prompts a quick exit and a call to your local plumber.
Of course, stoves, fireplaces, and furnaces aren’t the only things that might leak natural gas into your home. Even if you can’t trace the source of the odor, a rotten egg smell is a cause for concern. It’s always better to turn off your gas and leave than to risk inhaling gas, your house catching fire, or an explosion.
Whether you suspect a gas leak or you want to get your gas lines inspected preemptively, call Denton Roto-Rooter. Their technicians have the tools to detect gas leaks and get your gas mains repaired quickly. Whether it’s a simple sewer gas leak or a major break in your gas furnace’s pipeline, they can help you out.