How do I know if I have a gas leak?

Gas Boilers are of course brilliant pieces of engineering that keep our homes warm in the winter and our baths full of lovely hot water all year round.

But a gas boiler does have a negative to it and that is the potential for a gas leak. Poorly maintained boilers, and boilers that have developed a fault can result in gas leaks.

While proper maintenance and servicing of your boiler can help to drastically reduce the chances of a gas leak, we wanted to put this information together for those of you across the West Coast of Scotland who may worry that they have a gas leak and want information on what to do about it.

How can you spot/identify a gas leak?

The easiest way to tell if you have a gas leak is by the smell in your home. But if your sense of smell is not your strongest trait, then there are a few physical symptoms you can look out for.

If you have been feeling lightheaded, dizzy and even a bit nauseous, the first thing to do is to go outside immediately. If your symptoms go away pretty much instantly then the effects were likely caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Beyond how you feel and the smell of a gas leak, there are a few visual things that can help trace whether you have a gas leak or not. If your boilers pilot light has been blowing out easily, this can be because of a gas leak. If you have spotted a build up of soot or scorch marks around the outside of your boiler, then again, this could be because of a gas leak.

So what should I do to prevent a gas leak?

The first line of defence against gas leaks is regular maintenance and servicing. Gas Safe Registered heating engineers like Wright Gas are trained professionals and we can spot signs of wear and tear that are the usual and likely suspects when it comes to causes of gas leaks.

Boilers should be fitted with a carbon monoxide detector next to them. If you do not have a carbon monoxide detecter next to your gas boiler, we strongly urge you to get one. They aren’t expensive and they could save your life.

But what should I do if I smell gas and there is in-fact a gas leak?

Immediate action is required. If you can, turn off the valve that regulates the flow of gas into your home. It can be difficult to locate or access this depending on the age of your property and if you do not know where your gas supply and gas meter is, go and find out now!

Once you have stopped the supply of new gas into your home, the next step is to get fresh air into the house and flush out the gas that is lingering in the rooms of your property. Open all the windows and doors you can and leave them open for a long time to ensure that any gas in your home has been pushed out.

Very Important!!! – When you are airing our your home, don’t go around turning on light switches and other electrical items. If you are a smoker, do not light a cigarette.

Once you have done all of this, you should call the experts. You can of course call us and we may be able to help with an emergency call out that day. Alternatively, you can call The National Gas Emergency Service. The free phone number os 0800 111 999. It is free to call and is open 24/7.

We don’t want to scare anyone with our advise about dealing with gas leaks but they are a serious issue. Gas Boilers that are not serviced, maintained and checked regularly can lead to fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you would like to know more about what to do in the event of a gas leak, remember to ask use when we are servicing your boiler and we will happy run through all the information we can.