Today, natural gas is one of the most popular types of fuel. It is also used in residential buildings. Despite all the safety measures that are used in contact with gas, interaction with it carries some risk. What smells of gas? How to determine its leak?
Smell of gas
For domestic purposes, methane gas is used. Its concentration is about 98-99%. What smells of gas? Methane is a volatile substance that has neither taste nor smell. What do people feel when they once again open the gas burner? The fact is that for safety reasons and easy detection of leaks, additional odorous substances are added to methane - odorants, due to which this becomes possible.
Odorants are added at gas distribution stations when preparing gas for further operation. What smells of gas that is used for domestic purposes? Its smell is familiar to every person who has a gas stove at home. Some people compare it to the smell of rotten cabbage, but it’s actually difficult to describe it.
Signs of a gas leak
What smells of gas? It has a pronounced smell, which helps to identify leakage. However, in some cases, including due to problems with the sense of smell, some people may not notice its leak. What to do in such cases? You need to pay attention to other symptoms, for example, with a high concentration of a substance in the air, the following symptoms appear:
- headache;
- dizziness;
- dry mouth
- general signs of nausea, weakness in the body;
- redness of the eyes, lacrimation;
- pallor of the skin;
- sleep disturbance.
These signs are called gas poisoning, because they indicate saturation of the blood with it. By characteristic symptoms, a gas leak can be detected.
Why is this happening?
Many people wonder if the gas smells and how it can leak. Most of us are very familiar with the smell of natural gas, which is used in modern gas stoves, so usually we can easily detect a leak. And it can occur for a number of the following reasons:
- Burner extinction due to drafts or other causes.
- Insufficient gas combustion, which can be determined by the shade of the flame. With normal combustion, it should be blue, and with incorrect it has orange or red hues.
- Weak gas hose attachment.
- Errors in the installation of gas equipment.
- Defective cylinders, columns or other equipment.
Often, a natural gas leak occurs when an unauthorized person connects gas equipment without the involvement of competent gas services.
What to do?
How does gas smell when leaking? It can be detected by the characteristic sour aroma, which is quite specific. At high concentrations, the smell becomes strong and pronounced. If such changes in air are detected, the first thing to do is find a gas tap and completely shut it off. At this time, it is recommended not to breathe or cover your nose with matter, as the gas is extremely toxic.
If it is impossible to close the gas or its high concentration, it is recommended to open the windows and doors wide open in order to reduce its concentration in the apartment.
It is also recommended to de-energize the home, as even a small spark in the switch can lead to ignition of the gas.
Smoking or the use of any flammable substances is considered unacceptable. It is recommended to notify the neighbors of a gas leak. After this, it is important to call the gas service, the responsibility of which is to identify and eliminate the gas leak, as well as repair the faulty gas equipment.
Preventative measures
It is much easier to prevent a gas leak than to correct its consequences. It is also very important to know how the gas smells in order to accurately identify problems.
It is very important to carry out preventive measures, which are as follows:
- From an early age, children need to talk about the dangers of gas.
- Gas appliances should only be purchased with the appropriate warranty cards and quality certificates. The purchase of used equipment is not recommended.
- Gas cylinders should be stored away from combustible substances, as well as from children. They should not be in direct sunlight, or in a room with high humidity or high temperature. Periodically, they must be tested.
- The position of the gas taps must be constantly monitored.
- It is important to prevent clogging of gas burners and periodically check and clean them.
- Leaving the apartment, especially for a long period of time, it is recommended to close the gas valve.
- To avoid gas extinction, you do not need to move far from the stove while cooking.
It is also strictly forbidden to independently install gas equipment. Only a certified specialist should do this.