There are many more gas-related risks in a home than people are aware of. Usually, these risks are common knowledge but not always.
Using gas-fueled heaters and heating systems puts pollutants into the air in your home. Pollutants such as:
Nitrogen dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Particulate matter and
Volatile organic compounds.
However, those amounts are rarely tracked in a home.
There is a risk of your heating system leaking, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Poorly maintained, damaged, or overheated gas appliances, as well as your heating system, can explode.
Natural gas is highly combustible so if you ever suspect a leak you should leave the area immediately, make sure you do not flip any electrical
switches or use a cell phone.
If you smell the familiar smell of rotten eggs you may have a gas leak. That. the scent is not naturally occurring in natural gas. Natural has no scent at all. That scent is added to help people to smell the gas in case there is a leak. While natural gas indoors poses a risk the two million miles of gas piping underneath our homes pose an even larger risk. Never dig in your yard without calling professional gas fitters north shore for information about how to handle the situation. Should you ever notice dirt moving or blowing up from the ground without wind or bubbling water or hear a hiss, leave the area immediately and have someone well away from the area call 911.
Anything fueled by natural gas can pose a risk:
Dryers
Fireplaces
Hot water heaters
Furnaces and
Space heaters
just to name a few.
Burning gas generates lots of particulate-filled vapor which leads to mold, bacteria, and mildew which acts as a transport vehicle to put these volatile compounds into our lungs. When cooking with gas, if you breathe in the cooking fumes, you are in inhaling all the chemicals mentioned above. If you dry your clothes in a gas dryer it still has these chemicals clinging to the fabric when you wear those clothes. This is a major risk for those with asthma or any other immune compromising illnesses. Occasionally check the flame on gas-filled appliances and heaters. The flame should be blue and steady. If the flame is showing yellow or leaning more to one side, you should check for leaks. You may have a crack or corrosion that is leaking natural gas. There is more to natural gas than most people know or think about. But now you are more aware and possibly more educated about the risks.