What to Do If There Is A Natural Gas Leak
Do you know what to do if there is a natural gas leak?
A natural gas leak in your house can be quite serious. It’s important that you know how to detect a natural gas leak and what steps you need to take to prevent a disaster.
Natural Gas is a hydrocarbon mixture (primary methane) that is commonly used in homes and businesses to heat hot water. It’s also used to run the natural gas furnaces and stoves in our homes.
In it’s a natural state, natural gas has no odour. Because of this, an odourant is combined with natural gas for safety purposes creating a unique natural gas smell. The odourant usually makes natural gas smell like rotten eggs. That unfavourable smell also helps to make the natural gas easily identifiable so you can detect a natural gas leak immediately in your home or office.
Even if you just suspect that you smell a small amount of the odour associated with Natural Gas, your business or home might have a gas leak so you must proceed with care.
What To Do If There Is A Natural Gas Leak
- Remain calm and act quickly.
- Exit the building and move a safe distance away from the source of the leak.
- Call 911 or contact Fortis BC
(Natural Gas Emergency number 1-800-663-9911) - Report immediately if you detect a natural gas smell.
- Don’t assume that someone else has made the call.
- Do not operate any electrical or natural gas appliances.
- Do not turn any light switches off or on.
- Do not use phones or electronics in the area.
- Do not smoke or light matches or try to light a candle.
- Do not start any vehicles or motors within the vicinity.
- Do not try to extinguish a fire if one has started.
Five Natural Gas Safety Tips for Around the Home
The following are some tips for around the home to help keep your family safe from Natural Gas leaks.
- Never let small children play with Natural Gas appliances, dials, or knobs.
- Don’t use your Natural Gas stove as a heating device for your home.
- Make sure that Natural Gas appliances have adequate ventilation.
- Never try to move or disconnect a Natural Gas appliance yourself.
- Do not store combustible materials or household chemicals near gas appliances.
About Premium Electric
As Abbotsford electricians, Premium Electric has been offering electrical services to both residential and commercial clients throughout the Vancouver Lower Mainland including Burnaby, Surrey, and Poco/ Coquitlam.
We use only local electrical suppliers and primarily serve clients in the Fraser Valley so if you require an electrician in Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, or Mission, please get in touch.
Please check out our FAQ page to learn more about our company.
Contact Premium Electric if you still have questions about what to do if there is a natural gas leak or to find out more about natural gas and home safety.
Please send us an email, or call us at 1-604-308-6195 to enquire about any of our commercial or residential electrical services.
You may also like the following blog posts:
What to Do When the Power Goes Out
5 Things to Do in An Electrical Emergency.
