The gas stove is the most used means of cooking appliance in every household. Although much of the attention is given while installing a new gas connection, there is not enough attention given for maintaining the gas stove and cylinder. Although there are safety precautions to be ensured like servicing the gas cylinder and preventing gas leakage, not much awareness is created on what to do if there is an actual leakage of gas. Prevention is better than cure but it is also important to be aware of the ways to cure. So, if there is a case of a gas leakage there are few measures to be taken. In this blog, you will get to know about the measures to take in case of a leakage in new gas connection.
Detecting leakage of gas
1) Gas leakage can cause a pungent smell or rotten egg smell and mostly easy to detect due to the unusual odour.
2) Rarely a haze like a layer is seen in the house atmosphere but then again it is a little hard to detect.
3) Sometimes a hissing sound or high pitched whistling noise is heard when there is a gas leakage
4) Few people experience nausea, headache and dizziness which is caused by the carbon mono oxide poisoning due to gas leakage.
Now that we know how to detect gas leakages let us know about what to do and not to do if there is gas leakage. First, let us look at Don’ts
What not to do when you detect a gas leakage
1) Do not light the stove when you detect it.
It is the most dangerous thing you can do and the cylinder might burst immediately.
2) Do not switch on/off any electrical appliance at home as they might create an immediate spark.
3) Do not smoke, light anything or even attempt to do anything to do with fire.
4) Do not try to intervene on own and try to fix the stove or the cylinder if it is very intense. 5) Do not use a mobile phone and try to call for help. Leave the house immediately and then try to make a call.
What to do when you detect a gas leakage
1) If the leakage of gas is mild check if the stove regulator is off. If not turn it off. Sometimes leaving the regulator on can cause mild gas leakage and hence causes the smell.
2) See if the knob of the gas cylinder is turned off but then again do not intervene if you feel that the gas leakage is intense.
3) Evacuate the house and get everybody outside the house if the leakage is intense.
4) Once you’re out to call the emergency numbers given below and they will send professional help to fix the leakage of gas.
1906.
1-800-764-0111.
1-800-400-4271 or 911.
Few measures to ensure after the leakage is fixed
If you face some leakage issues with your new gas connection, must follow :
1) Open the door and windows and let the gas out. Wait until the professionals tell that it is safe to enter the house and then proceed.
2) Install carbon mono oxide detector/alarms which might help in case of gas leakage again in the future.
3) Service the gas stove and cylinder regularly and always check if the knob of the cylinder and the regulator of the stove are switched off
4) Generally, keep children and pets out of the kitchen area as they might not understand the situation and might put the house and family under risk.
5) Do not keep any electrical appliance like mobile phones or laptop near the gas stove.Ensuring the safety of the gas cylinder might seem like a trivial thing but is very essential for the well being of the family.