Last week, a local family had the scare of their lives when their Thanksgiving celebration was suddenly and violently interrupted by a gas explosion at their home in South Dallas. While the exact cause of the blast that destroyed their guest house and caused major damage to the main house is still under investigation, it seems timely to talk about natural gas safety at home.
Gas Fireplace Safety
It’s finally cold enough to cozy up to a fire in the fireplace, but if you have a gas fireplace, it’s important to practice a few natural gas safety measures.
Inspector Alex suggests keeping that tempting gas key out of reach of children — a great tip. If you don’t have an automatic pilot shut off, always make sure the gas is turned off all the way when you shut off your fire.
Also, it’s important to have a carbon monoxide detector in range of your gas fireplace. Unlike wood-burning fireplaces, it’s not obvious if your fire vent isn’t working, so your house could be filling with toxic fumes like carbon monoxide without your knowledge if you don’t have a monitor.
How to Check For Gas Leaks (And How NOT to)
What you see there is a very old gas pipe connected to a radiator that has a leak. We can see it in this picture because it has somehow ignited, maybe because the person who took the photo thought it would be funny to light it. THIS IS NOT FUNNY, NOR IS IT A GOOD WAY TO CHECK FOR A GAS LEAK. (This image came from a plumbing forum, not an inspection.) So if you smell gas, it should go without saying, (but since it obviously doesn’t), do not try to light it with fire.
If you have gas appliances at home, it’s not a bad idea to get yourself one of these handy tools: a gas sniffer. If you smell gas, you can use it to find the leak, and then you know whether to call a plumber or the gas company.
You can see our Inspectors using the gas sniffer and more examples of how to detect gas leaks at home here:
Have Old Equipment Checked By a Licensed Plumber
If your home or appliances are more than 30 years old, you may have potentially dangerous uncoated brass gas connectors in need of replacement. These were commonly used in 1950s-60s construction. Some uncoated brass connectors have a flaw in the area where the tubing meets the end pieces. It can easily become cracked or torn, which could result in a natural gas leak, fire, or explosion. You can see in the video that the brass connector is setting off the gas sniffer, indicating a leak.
For more information about gas safety at home, check out Atmos Energy’s home safety guide. If you ever suspect a natural gas leak, call 911 and Atmos Energy’s 24-hour, toll-free emergency number at 866-322-8667 from a safe distance.
For more information about the recent gas explosion in South Dallas, and how you can help the family, follow the link to our article.
