Gas leaks are potentially catastrophic. If left unchecked, undetected and untreated, gas leaks can lead to several dangers including fire, explosion and gas poisoning.
Gas leaks can be caused by many factors. If a gas leak is undetected and the causes are unaddressed, it can cause a massive fire which can damage property and lead to loss of life. While major explosions arising out of gas leaks are not common in residences, the fire can easily spread beyond the premises of the home. Gas poisoning is also very common during gas leaks especially because the common toxic gas, carbon monoxide, is odorless and colorless which prevents residents from realizing that there is a gas leak. Carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to fatalities.
Causes Of Gas Leaks
Any home would have a number of household appliances that run on natural gas or other gases like propane. Some common appliances are water heaters, stoves, dryers, and fireplaces. Appliances that are not of great quality are prone to be causes of gas leaks. Even good quality appliances are potential sources of gas leaks when they age and become worn out. Predominantly, the piping can get corroded or the seals of the appliances where the pipes are configured can get damaged. Any of such instances can lead to gas leaks. Faulty knobs of appliances or poor ignitions, human errors such as not turning off the gas knobs and not attending to any existing problems of the appliances are also common causes of gas leaks.
In many homes, the gas pipes can get damaged or be faultily installed which can lead to gas leaks. Older homes with worn out piping are more prone to gas leaks. Apart from the direct causes of gas leaks from appliances and gas piping, poor ventilation in a home can also contribute to the problem. A build-up of toxic gases or natural gas, propane, and carbon dioxide can lead to threatening problems.
Fixing Gas Leaks
V-Max Plumbing specializes in identifying and detecting accurately all types of gas leaks. Irrespective of the specific cause and the type of appliance or piping that is in your house, we have the most state of the art detection systems that can spot even the minutest prevalence of any gas in your home. We can repair all kinds of plumbing, gas piping and also address faulty seals, appliances and other causes of gas leaks.
