Would you know what to do if you smelled gas?

A gas leak can happen at any time – are you ready?

A natural gas leak is one of the most dangerous situations Arizona homeowners can face. Even the smallest leak puts your home, your business and your family at risk. Natural gas leaks can lead to fires and explosions, and, if the gas is not burned completely, to carbon monoxide poisoning.

And the risk is real. In Arizona there are an average of six natural gas leaks a day (source: azcentral.com)

Natural gas pipelines can be buried anywhere. Even if you don’t have natural gas appliances in your home, there may be natural gas pipelines on your property. So it’s important your family is aware of what natural gas smells like and what to do if they smell gas – even when outside.

There are four signs that could indicate you might have a small natural gas leak, and it’s time to repair your gas piping:
1. strong smell of gas inside your home or building (an unmistakable sulfur-like smell, often described as a “rotten egg” smell)
2. dead plants in the area of a gas line
3. hissing sound
4. white cloud or dust cloud near a gas line

When any of these signs are present, follow these six steps immediately:

1. The first thing you should do is immediately leave your home or building and call 911. As you exit, leave the door open behind you as well as any windows that may already be open.
2. If you are able, quickly shut off the gas valves to your home, however, do not spend any extra time doing this.
3. Do not smoke, light a match, use a lighter or switch lights on or off as this can potentially ignite any gas that may be present in the air. Avoid using your cell phone until you’ve left the area.
4. If it’s an apartment or office building, let anyone you see entering know there is a suspected natural gas leak.
5. Once you are safely outside, contact the gas company that supplies the home or building and advise them of the leak so they can turn off the gas.
6. The last step is to contact a professional to perform the repairs. RP Gas Piping is an expert in the gas line repair business. We will inspect your gas lines, find where the leak is coming from, and replace the leaking pipes and ensure your home is in a safe condition before you enter it again.

Natural gas leaks are very serious. You can protect your family by installing carbon monoxide detectors inside your home. You can also purchase natural gas detectors if you are concerned about future natural gas leaks – some models combine both forms of detection.

RP Gas Piping is one of Arizona’s most qualified and efficient Natural Gas Contractors with a natural gas emergency response team.  We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week serving our customers. Our emergency services include:

• • Residential and Commercial leak repair
  • Residential and Commercial repair
  • Residential and Commercial bypass leak piping
  • Pilot relights
  • Expedited Permitting
  • Line Locating
  • Gas Leak detection