Do gas leaks have a smell? The answer is more complex than a simple yes or no. To do the topic proper justice, we interviewed our professionals at Wasden Plumbing who regularly perform gas leak detection in Rowlett and Rockwall, TX. Here’s everything we learned.
Does Natural Gas Have a Smell?
The primary component of natural gas is methane. Methane is the simplest, smallest, and lightest hydrocarbon possible. Methane doesn’t have any smell or color. Natural gas also contains other hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane, but these compounds are also odorless.
Natural gas can contain some compounds that have a smell such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. However, these glasses make such a small part of natural gas that their smell is insignificant. So no, natural gas doesn’t have a smell in its original form, but that’s not the whole story.
Mercaptan in Natural Gas
Natural gas doesn’t have a smell in its original form, which can make leaks pretty hard to detect. There have been many incidents of gas explosions because of this. One such tragedy occurred in a school in Texas back in 1937. There was a gas leak that no one could smell.
Following this, the state of Texas made it mandatory to add a malodorant (a gas with a bad smell) to natural gas to make gas leaks easier to detect. Today, natural gas has small quantities of mercaptan. Mercaptan is a harmless gas that smells like bad cabbage or rotten eggs. You can’t smell it in small quantities in natural gas, but if there’s a leak, you can easily detect its distinctive odor all over the house.
What To Do When You Smell Mercaptan?
If you smell rotten eggs or cabbage or suspect a gas leak for any other reason, call a professional for gas leak detection and repair immediately.
While a professional is on their way, open all your windows and doors, turn off your water heaters and stoves, and disconnect your main electric supply to avoid sparks.
Wasden Plumbing is the best-rated plumbing company in Rockwall and Rowlett, TX, with over 20 years of combined experience. We’re also the premier emergency plumber in Rowlett and Rockwall, TX.
Suspect a gas leak? Call our professionals for gas leak detection in Rockwall, TX, now!
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