Natural gas and propane are two of the most popular residential fuels on the market today. Each offers clean burning fuel coupled with affordable prices. However, it’s important to realize that these gases can be dangerous when they leak into the air inside your home. If you experience any of the gas line issues we’re going to discuss below, call a licensed plumbing professional to fix the issue sooner rather than later.

1. Rotten Egg Smell

One of the most disturbing smells that you may come across is that of rotten eggs. While natural gas doesn’t have a smell to it, the gas company opts to add mercaptan to it. This is a bad-smelling substance that allows homeowners to easily detect when they have a leak in their natural gas line. If you smell this sulfur, you should turn off your natural gas valve quickly and exit your home. You never want to hang around an area where natural gas is leaking as it can be damaging to your health, even resulting in suffocation.

2. Hissing Noise

Gas that is pumped into your home is naturally under pressure. Whenever one of your gas lines develops a hole or crack, the pressure of the gas will force it out into your indoor air. This will produce a very loud hissing noise directly at the hole or crack. Be sure to shut off the supply of gas when you hear a hissing noise to prevent excess gas buildup in your home.

3. Visible Piping Damage

Any part of your gas piping that is exposed can be susceptible to accidental physical damage. If you notice a kink or crack appear on any of your gas lines, it’s a cause for concern. Even if there is no hissing noise indicating a leak, you’re better off having the line repaired by a licensed plumbing professional before the problem gets worse.

4. Higher Than Normal Gas Bills

While we all expect our gas bills to be on the rise in the winter months as we run our heating systems to stay warm, they shouldn’t be spiking at other times of the year. If you’ve noticed that your gas bill has gone up significantly, it’s likely an indication of a leak somewhere in your gas line. It’s vital to remember that a large portion of your gas line is hidden underground and in your walls where you can’t inspect it for physical damage.

5. Poor Performing Appliances

One clear indication that there may be a problem with your gas line is the poor performance of your gas-powered appliances. If you observe that your stove, for instance, is not maintaining a consistent heat level, it could be a sign of gas line trouble. To confirm if the issue lies with the gas line itself and not just the stove, test another gas-powered appliance in the household.

6. Dead Shrubbery

One lesser-known sign to look for that indicates a problem with your gas line is dead shrubbery. Any greenery that’s positioned near where your main gas line enters your home can be susceptible to gas poisoning. If your gas line is leaking, the shrubbery will start to die back and look sickly. If all of your other exterior greenery seems to be doing fine, it could be an indication you have a leak in your main gas supply line that needs to be addressed by a licensed plumber.

7. Faulty Valve

As your gas line enters your home, there will be a main supply valve that allows you to turn off the entire supply line. Furthermore, as you follow your gas lines throughout your home, you’ll notice that there’s a manual valve near every appliance. This is important to help turn off the gas supply when swapping out an old appliance for a new one. Unfortunately, any of these valves can become faulty over time. They can end up allowing gas to leak out, or they can get sealed shut and not allow any gas flow to your appliance at all. In most cases, you’ll need to have the faulty gas valve replaced with a new one.

Expert Gas Line Service

Mullen Plumbing, Heating and Cooling offers expert gas line service to the entire South Charleston, WV community. We can also help with all of your plumbing repair, cooling, heating, ductwork, and indoor air quality needs. Give us a call today, and we’ll schedule a service appointment for you.