Although gas installations are usually quite safe. However, this does not mean that there cannot be gas leaks that could compromise the safety of our home. It is therefore essential know how to detect a gas leak at home and what to do if one occurs.
In the event that a home suffers an explosion as a result of a gas leak, it will be the insurer who will determine responsibility for the damage to the insured home, covering the cost of repairing the home if the leak is the result of a failure in the gas installation. However, for the insurer to assume the cost of the repair, it is necessary to have contracted a good home insurance.
To find best Home insurance the ideal is to have the experience of a good insurance consultancy. This is the case of Euroteide Insurance, a Tenerife Insurance consultancy that, with more than 25 years of experience, is in a position to offer you and find the Home Insurance that best suits your needs in terms of coverage and guarantees.
How to detect a gas leak in the home
It is essential to know how to detect a gas leak, so that the possible accident that a danger of these characteristics can cause can be avoided. That is why it is of great importance, even for those who do not have a gas installation at home, to know how to interpret certain signs that may indicate that there is a gas leak. These signs are as follows.
The smell of gas
One of the clearest signs that a gas leak is occurring and one of the first indications is the smell of gas. Although gas is odorless, Spanish legislation obliges gas supply companies to add certain odor-giving substances to gas. In this way, it is relatively easy that, in the event of a gas leak, the smell of it does not go unnoticed.
The odorization process through which odor is added to the gas is very characteristic, using fairly powerful chemicals that are easy to perceive.
Sharp and sustained whistle over time
In addition to the smell of gas, there are other signs that may indicate a leak. So that, sound is also a good indicative that a gas leak may have occurred in the home. When there is a gas leak in the home, a high-pitched hiss can be heard caused by the pressure with which the gas escapes from the pipes and conduits of the installation.
If you hear a sharp and sustained whistle over time Inside a property there may be a gas leak, in which case you should know how to manage the problem.
Physical symptoms
Although it is unusual that, with a gas leak, the two previous signs are not perceived - the smell of gas and / or a sharp and sustained hiss over time - the truth is that there are times when these signs do not exist. However, it is also an indication that there is a gas leak certain physical symptoms. If you notice dizziness, nausea, headaches, and vomiting, there may be a gas leak inside the home. To confirm, you must go outside and, if there is improvement in the condition of the symptoms, it is more than likely that there is a gas leak inside the property.
Gas leaks outdoors
The above indications are used to know how to detect a gas leak in the boiler inside a house. However, what happens if the gas leak is occurring outside in a pipeline that runs outside the home or building? In these cases, perceiving the smell of gas or the high-pitched hiss is more difficult. Also, being outside, no physical symptoms will occur. In any case, you must be attentive to perceive these signs.
Outside, other signals can be produced. For example, if the pipes are to pass under a bank of standing water, bubbles can be a good indication that there is a gas leak.
How to control a gas leak
When a gas leak is suspected, what to do? How to control a gas leak? A series of steps must be followed:
- Analyze the magnitude of the leak, since, depending on its magnitude, the urgency of the problem will be one or the other. If the leak is very large, you should leave the house immediately and call XNUMX for the fire department and professionals from the gas company. How to assess the magnitude of the leak? If the smell is more intense and the hiss is very perceptible, it means that the leak is of real importance.
- Open the doors and windows. If you smell a slight smell of gas, immediately open the windows and doors to facilitate ventilation of the property.
- Close the valve of the gas installation. You must close the general tap of the gas installation, as well as the valves that are in the kitchen, near the boiler. To turn off the gas, you just have to squeeze and turn the handle, so that it is perpendicular to the gas pipes.
- Check the stove in the kitchen. You should make sure that the kitchen burners are completely off and that no gas comes out of them, as this is a good way to check that the gas valves are properly closed.
- Call the gas supply company from outside the home. The first thing, once the previous steps have been carried out and as long as the leak is not very serious, you should leave the house. Once outside, you must contact the gas company and report what has happened. In addition, you will need to call emergencies.
Without a doubt, the best option is to hire a good home insurance in the event that the leak causes damage. For this, the best decision is to trust the experience in the Insurance sector and the professionalism of a good Insurance consultancy, such is the case of Euroteide Insurance.
Euroteide Seguros is a Seguros Tinerfeña consultancy that markets home insurance, as well as Health insurances o Car insurance (among many others) and that he will put all his experience in the sector at your disposal to find the insurance that best suits you and your needs.