Natural gas furnaces are affordable, easy to maintain, and efficient. Even though they will last a decade or more if maintained properly but sometimes can develop leaks as well. A leak may develop due to several reasons and could lead to serious consequences. It should be inspected immediately by a heating repair service. Let’s discuss some signs that will help you determine if there is a leak so that you can fix it immediately. Let’s begin!

Hissing Sounds

The furnace in your house has a network of pipe spread in your house. These pipes are designed to carry natural gas into and through your home. As the pipes age, tiny cracks or holes can develop.

Since the gas is traveling through these pipes under pressure, a tiny hole or crack will cause the gas to leak quickly and sometimes, without the homeowner even noticing. However, you might hear a hissing sound. These hissing noises may be tough to hear when the furnace is running so you will have to wait until the furnace is turned off.

Once the furnace is off, inspect the pipes and the heating system and try to locate the crack or hole. It is important that you fix the hole as the gas could spread to the other areas of the house if ignored. Moreover, it could easily catch fire if the gas were to enter the kitchen or someone were to produce a spark.

Rotten Egg Smells

You might have heard people saying that natural gas smells like rotten eggs, which is not entirely accurate. In fact, natural gas does not have any odor. However, sulfur is added to the gas by manufacturers before it is sent out to homes. It is the sulfur that smells like rotten eggs. That said, if you notice a suspicious smell, especially near your furnace, it means the furnace is leaking somewhere.

In such a case, it might be a bit tricky to track down the leakage. Leakage does not necessarily have to be big or visible. It could be very small and located in an area that is hard to reach. Therefore, you will need to consult an expert who will not only help detect the leak but also fix it at the same time.

Dying House Plants

If you do not have some natural greenery in your house, you should opt for some. The reason is that not only does it make your home look visually appealing but also gives you an indication that there is a gas leak somewhere. You might not be aware of this but natural gas can seep into the soil of plants.

As it does, it can affect the mechanism of plants that are used for taking nutrients from the soil. As a result, the plants wither and die. If you look after your plants and notice that they are still dying, it means there is a gas leakage somewhere. This could be a much more complicated problem as you might not hear a hissing noise or come across rotten egg smells.

This is why you need to contact an expert to fix furnace gas leakage, especially if you have elderly and kids living in the house.

Flu-Like Systems

Inhaling natural gas is not good for health. Although exposure to natural gas for a short period of time is not supposed to harm you, prolonged exposure can lead to health concerns. The most common symptoms of natural gas exposure include nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, exhaustion, etc.

If you own a pet, keep in mind that it will fall ill sooner than you will. But that is not the case each time. However, if you notice that your pet has suddenly turned ill, the culprit might be a gas leak. That said, make sure you open the windows of your house for the gas to escape and call in an expert.

Final Word

In the end, spotting a leaking furnace can be both easy and tricky. Regardless, you should always hire an expert to handle the issue as soon as you notice a leak to prevent a fire from breaking out. Plus, cut off the natural gas supply to prevent any fire from breaking out until the expert from furnace repair services shows up. topac