Should I be worried

[Rabs]

No this is real GAS not G.A.S.

 

The last few days ive been smelling gas in my kitchen in the mornings.. I close the door at night cos the fridge is really loud so it can keep me awake (or just be really annoying).... so it gets locked in over night to build up.

 

Anyway... I got a gas man around and we did find a leak in one of the joints for the hob....

 

And the guy reckons that it would have been like that since its installation which was about 2 and a half years ago... So if hes right that means ive been exposed to gas (even if in small amounts) for that whole time (especially during the winter when the windows are shut most the time)....

 

Should I be worried?

[Guest Farnsbarns]

No, not regarding toxicity, but you should turn your electricity off at the main fuse and get it fixed very quickly. Even the tiny arc in a light switch can ignite gas pooling in a room.

[Rabs]

No, not regarding toxicity, but you should turn your electricity off at the main fuse and get it fixed very quickly. Even the tiny arc in a light switch can ignite gas pooling in a room.

Oh, he did fix it... It just took tightening of the nut thing at the joint... (which is why he reckoned it had been like that since it was installed)..

 

Bloody Currys installation

 

So it is fixed.. I was just worried about any long term exposure to gas....

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Well, if you're not feeling unwell it wasn't at toxic levels and now it's fixed you're not suddenly going to become ill. I was in a massive gas leak for a couple of weeks and they said then if you don't feel ill, your not. Asked if we'd had headaches, nausea, dizziness etc. All the normal poisoning symptoms. We hadn't.

[Rabs]

Ok.. Cheers.....

 

I have suffered from headaches (migraines actually) since I was about 3 so I always have those... But no, I don't think theres any other signs...

[Kenny V]

An easy way to check a gas line for a leak is a mixture of soap and water brushed on to the pipe joint. If is bubbles you have a leak.

[Rabs]

An easy way to check a gas line for a leak is a mixture of soap and water brushed on to the pipe joint. If is bubbles you have a leak.

Lol... its funny you should mention that..

 

He had a special spray.. cos apparently they cant use soap and water any more (GAS safety regs) and they are forced to buy this special stuff..

[capmaster]

Ok.. Cheers.....

 

I have suffered from headaches (migraines actually) since I was about 3 so I always have those... But no, I don't think theres any other signs...

Did you ever research what makes you suffering from migraine? After 28 years I accidentally found out it was bananas for me. I guess one of the reasons why it took me so long was the delay between eating and headache. Migraine didn't start before the bananas had entered the colon.

 

P.S.: Glad you got the gas pipe problem solved.

[Rabs]

Did you ever research what makes you suffering from migraine? After 28 years I accidentally found out it was bananas for me. I guess one of the reasons why it took me so long was the delay between eating and headache. Migraine didn't start before the bananas had entered the colon.

 

P.S.: Glad you got the gas pipe problem solved.

Actually yes, ive had all sorts of allergy and dietary tests... Happened when I was about 10 or so.....

 

One of the explanations of why people gets migraines (and what it may be for me) is that the skull is made from plates (cranial plates)they can move a bit and even overlap, this can sometimes be the cause...

 

And well I don't get them as much as I did when I was younger so I just live with it.... When I was younger I literally (and there is no exaggeration here) used to hallucinate the pain was so bad.. id see things in front of my eyes...

 

I have learned what it feels like when they are coming on, if I manage to take a pill in time it doesn't go full blown, but if I miss it, nothing stops it, I just have to go through it.

[capmaster]

Actually yes, ive had all sorts of allergy tests... Happened when I was about 10 or so.....

 

One of the explanations of why people gets migraines (and what it may be for me) is that the skull is made from plates (cranial plates)they can move a bit and even overlap, this can sometimes be the cause...

 

And well I don't get them as much as I did when I was younger so I just live with it.... When I was younger I literally (and there is no exaggeration here) used to hallucinate the pain was so bad.. id see things in front of my eyes...

 

I have learned what it feels like when they are coming on, if I manage to take a pill in time it doesn't go full blown, but if I miss it, nothing stops it, I just have to go through it.

I have a persisting house dust mite allergy, and I twice had to interrupt desensibilisation therapy attempts in 1978 and 1986. The growing dosages would have killed me through suffocation.

 

I had flashing scotomas in my view. The past nine months I suffered from them like I did in 1973/74 and 1989/90, mostly without headache. All the years between 1974 and 2002, the year I found out about bananas, I always had horrible headaches along with sight disorders. Most important were coolness and darkness. Sound at moderate levels was no problem, but I didn't listen to music or anything else on purpose.

 

When the migraine was over, I was wide awake for six or eight hours regardless of time of day. Then I needed lots of sleep, also regardless of time. That was quite uneasy to handle during the working week.

[deeman]

Lol... its funny you should mention that..

 

He had a special spray.. cos apparently they cant use soap and water any more (GAS safety regs) and they are forced to buy this special stuff..

 

Made by the company owned by whatever politician thought it a good idea to ban soap and water.

[sparquelito]

From our local gas company:

 

"Exposure to extremely high levels of natural gas can cause loss of consciousness or even death. If a natural gas leak has occurred and is severe, oxygen can be reduced, causing dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headache, and irregular breathing. Exposure to low levels of natural gas, however, is not harmful to your health."

 

So that's good news anyway.

:)

[sparquelito]

I'm glad they fixed the problem, and there were no explosions or long-term health hazards.

[Rabs]

From our local gas company:

 

"Exposure to extremely high levels of natural gas can cause loss of consciousness or even death. If a natural gas leak has occurred and is severe, oxygen can be reduced, causing dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headache, and irregular breathing. Exposure to low levels of natural gas, however, is not harmful to your health."

 

So that's good news anyway.

:)

Cheers for that

[Dennis G]

Glad to hear that you got the source of the leak fixed. As for any long term physical "risks", et al, I'd think a quick call to my Doctor and maybe on office visit would be in order, no?

[Rabs]

Glad to hear that you got the source of the leak fixed. As for any long term physical "risks", et al, I'd think a quick call to my Doctor and maybe on office visit would be in order, no?

Yeah well I think im due for a general check up anyway.. So maybe I will organise it sooner rather than later..

[Retired]

I don't see why soap and water sprayed on it would be bad. It does show a leak. Shouldn't have a chemical reaction to cause a spark but I'm no chemist. Your lucky it wasn't a worse gas leak though and if you could smell it? Should have checked it out way back. Just turning on a light switch could have ignited it. That happened here in Omaha several weeks back. An inspector went into a rental house and turned on the kitchen light and it leveled the house to the ground. The explosion was so bad it destroyed the 2 homes next to it on both sides. Luckily no one else was hurt except the gal that went inside. I think they found her or pieces of her.

[btoth76]

As someone who is advanced in the automotive field, I always tell my friends: You can have a smoking engine in Your car, or a rusted exhaust pipe. You can drive it with a worn tranny. But, always take care of brakes and steering. Don't risk other's life.

 

I think the same about the gas devices and the piping, when it comes to household infrastructure. Nothing is more important than their condition.

 

Bence.

[Rabs]

I don't see why soap and water sprayed on it would be bad. It does show a leak. Shouldn't have a chemical reaction to cause a spark but I'm no chemist. Your lucky it wasn't a worse gas leak though and if you could smell it? Should have checked it out way back. Just turning on a light switch could have ignited it. That happened here in Omaha several weeks back. An inspector went into a rental house and turned on the kitchen light and it leveled the house to the ground. The explosion was so bad it destroyed the 2 homes next to it on both sides. Luckily no one else was hurt except the gal that went inside. I think they found her or pieces of her.

Yeah this is the weird thing... I couldn't really smell it before... I think it was Sunday I first smelled it.

 

Yet that nut was already really tight, just needed that last half a turn.... So I cant see how it wasn't always like that.. Theres nothing that would have made it loosen?? Its really weird...

[glp2012]

If you are still worried, you can buy a CO detector. When I refinanced my home (in the US, in California), the home inspector said they were required to pass inspection. I have two that are installed. They look kinda like more detectors. If I recall, they were fairly inexpensive.

 

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels, including coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas.

 

The Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 13260 et seq.) was signed into law this year. It requires carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in every “dwelling unit intended for human occupancy.” The California legislature also modified both the TDS (for residential one-to-four unit real property) and MHTDS (for manufactured homes and mobilehomes) to include a reference to carbon monoxide detector devices. See below for more details.

[Rabs]

If you are still worried, you can buy a CO detector. When I refinanced my home (in the US, in California), the home inspector said they were required to pass inspection. I have two that are installed. They look kinda like more detectors. If I recall, they were fairly inexpensive.

 

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels, including coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas.

 

The Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 13260 et seq.) was signed into law this year. It requires carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in every “dwelling unit intended for human occupancy.” The California legislature also modified both the TDS (for residential one-to-four unit real property) and MHTDS (for manufactured homes and mobilehomes) to include a reference to carbon monoxide detector devices. See below for more details.

No I think its ok...

 

But yes I know about this as my father has a few flats he rents out and he also has to provide CO detectors and fire extinguishers and all sorts of things... And yeah I need to get one for this flat im in (only been here a few years).

 

I used to have this card thing (looked like a credit card) and it had a strip on it that if it turned black it meant a CO leak...

[jdgm]

I used to have this card thing (looked like a credit card) and it had a strip on it that if it turned black it meant a CO2 leak...

 

(Edited)

 

CO is odourless, colourless, poisonous and heavy so it collects down low and builds up.

You are meant to have your detector near any potential source of CO leak and I was advised to put mine on top of the fridge which is a couple of feet away from my boiler; it is sensitive enough to x parts per million so that it should alert you to a higher-than-usual amount of CO in the air, well before it becomes fatal.

If you breathe in a high concentration of CO it starts to kill you at once AFAIK.

 

Detectors are quite cheap but you get what you pay for.....you might never find out if it didn't work properly. Should be replaced every few years too.

I don't mean to be a downer or anything but I've never heard or read of anyone recovering. Invariably tragic and fatal.

[Rabs]

 

I don't mean to be a downer or anything but I've never heard or read of anyone recovering. Invariably tragic and fatal.

No you are right.. I should sort that out...

 

I will try and get one tomorrow....

[flyingarmadillo]

CO2 isn't what you have to worry about, carbon monoxide (CO) is. But carbon monoxide is only generated when the gas is burning so you won't have it in a leak which means a CO detector won't spot a natural gas leak. The cheapest detection is the chemical they add to make natural gas smell (mercaptan). Coincidentally, it's basically a purified version of what makes your "natural gas" smell.

[Rabs]

CO2 isn't what you have to worry about, carbon monoxide (CO) is. But carbon monoxide is only generated when the gas is burning so you won't have it in a leak which means a CO detector won't spot a natural gas leak. The cheapest detection is the chemical they add to make natural gas smell (mercaptan). Coincidentally, it's basically a purified version of what makes your "natural gas" smell.

Yes that's what I meant CO

 

CO2 is what we breath out and plants breath in... (amongst other things)