GAS LEAK OUTSIDE HOUSE – Signs, Safety, and Solution

Around 73 million residential, industrial, and commercial people of the USA use around 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in a year. A large portion of them is for home use. Natural gas is safe to use and that is why it is mostly used gases in the world. That is why the gas leak is not uncommon at all. However, since natural gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, it is tough to find out any leakage, especially gas leak outside house. But what if you have a gas leak outside your house?

What is gas leak?

It is a simple term that refers to any kind of unexpected leakage in your gas pipe. It can be in your house or outside the house. No matter where it happens, it can cause a problem for you, your family, and the surrounding people. It can happen for many reasons. One common reason is a faulty gas pipe or faulty connector. Also, it can happen due to bad and faulty appliances such as cookers and boilers. Even if the appliances do not fit well or get older, you may have gas leakage as well.

Is a gas leak outside house dangerous?

Now the question comes whether it is dangerous or not. Well, the important point you need to know here is natural gas is a combustible gas, meaning that it can get exploded. On the other hand, natural gas is tasteless, odorless, and colorless which means you cannot see it, sense it, and smell it.

As a result, if any leakage happens outside, you cannot understand it easily and there will be a chance of explosion. Other than that, if you inhale the gas by any chance, you will have breathing difficulties and other problems such as headaches, or even getting killed. A lot of people died due to this gas problem every year. That means it is dangerous.

Outdoor gas leak sign

But how can understand if you have a gas leak outside house? It is easier to find out if there is any gas leak inside. Well, there are some signs by following which, you can easily identify whether there is any gas leak or not.

Bubbles

One of the most common signs of a gas leak is bubbles. Sometimes, a gas leak in the pipe causes bubbling in the moist ground. Maybe a water puddle that bubbles is hiding a gas leak under the ground. So whenever you see something like that, be aware.

Dying plants

Another common sign is plants dying. Though plants dying can happen for many reasons, however, if you see any dying or discolor plants among all the fresh and healthy plants, it is worthy of investigation. Also, if you find no reason for this dying, you should investigate as well. It is because of the lacking of oxygen. Natural gas blocks the oxygen source of flowers that cause the death of flowers where it also changes the color of vegetables and plants. So if you see any sign like that, please investigate.

Visible air movement

Sometimes, when there is any gas leak in an underground pipe, you might see dirt is been throwing into the ground or air, or plants are being blown. It is because of the force of the gas coming out through the leakage. This type of unusual air movement can cause gas leakage.

Ground on fire

It can be a clear sign of a gas leak outside the house. If you see any blue or yellow flame appearing to hover above the ground or coming out from the ground, this is an obvious sign of a gas leak. You should not hesitate anyway when you see this flame.

Dry spot on the moisture place

A gas leak can make a dry spot on the moisture area. So if you see any dry spot in a moist area, it may mean that the gas coming from the gas leak is drying the soil.

What you can do if you find any Gas leak outside house

After finding out the sign, what should you do? Do you need to try something by yourself or you need to hire a professional? Well, here are the things you can do whenever you detect a gas leak outside your home.

Do not worry

At first, do not worry.

A lot of people out there get panic when they detect the gas leak. They think it may explode or cause them dead, which is not true most of the time.

So make sure no one is worried about the situation. Stay calm. Even this panic can cause other problems as well.

Leave the place

After being calm and making people calm, you should make a place free of people. What I mean by that is you need to leave the place along with all the people. Stay as far as possible from the gas leak. Try to provide as much air as possible.

Call 999

Now it is time to call the national emergency number. Call 999 to contact the nearest fire service center or gas service company so that they can come and handle the situation. Remember, it is a risky situation and anything can happen. So contact them as soon as possible.

Wait

After making the call, do not rush to do anything. You should wait. Remember, the service provider or fire service people have to come to that place. It needs time. So wait and let people wait until they come.

Don’t do anything by yourself

Some people try to be hero in these situations. Do not try to be a hero at all. This is not the right time because it can cause any serious problem for you and your family or even for your neighbors. So never ever try to do anything by yourself. Even some people try to avoid the cost by doing all the things by themselves. They are not smart people, trust me. So don’t do anything stupid, instead, wait.

Safety tips

You know, prevention is better than cure.

That is why you should always remain in a safe position so that nothing like that happens.

Install detector

The best thing you can do is to install a gas detector. You will find propane gas detectors in the market that can detect the gas easily and whenever they detect the gas, they will send you alarm visually and audibly. As a result, you can be careful and take the necessary steps. Also, you will find carbon monoxide detectors for more security.

Keep a fire extinguisher on site

Keeping a fire extinguisher on your home can save you from many dangerous fire hazards. You know natural as is highly flammable. It is impossible to diminish the fire by water. Only a fire extinguisher can help you in that case. So make sure you have one in your home.

Schedule regular inspections

Since it is a common problem you can experience, it is important to inspect the gas leak on a regular basis. When you do a regular inspection, you can avoid the different dangerous situations for sure.

Stay educated, share this content

If you do not know what to do in case you have a gas leak in your gas line, you cannot do anything to solve the problem, and also, you make people panic. That is why you need to be educated and make people educated as well. So share this content with your friends to let them know about it.

Keep chemical storage away

If you have any chemical storage in your house, it is time to keep them away. Do not keep any chemicals near any gas pipe. It can increase the chances of the explosion of the gas.

Conclusion

Now you know the sign of gas leak outside the house and what you should do to solve and prevent this situation. Follow all the instructions for ensuring the security of you and your family and neighbors. You know, a gas leak can cause serious danger. So it is important to be educated about this problem and handle the situation smartly.