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How can I tell if my water heater is leaking gas?
If you call the utility or a plumber, they could use a bubble leak locator to identify
the source of a gas leak.
How do I fix a gas leak?
The solution might be as simple as tightening the nuts and bolts around the water heater’s
pilot light. Though you have to be careful not to tighten it so much that the compression
fitting, called a farrel, distorts.
Farewell to the farrel.
A gas leak might be obvious if you hear a hissing noise near the hot water heater, though
the sound could be mistaken for boiling water escaping from under the sediment in the bottom
of the hot water heater.
Definitely hitting rock bottom. But I might be able to fix it -
Don’t try to work with a gas line or connection to the gas line yourself. Call the utility
or a plumber.
Utilities will send someone because it’s cheaper than fixing things after your house
has blown up. Could the gas valve leak?
Yes, and replacing that might be the solution. Capping the valves is a minimum.
Could a water leak cause a gas leak?
No, but a lack of maintenance and build up of rust could cause both to corrode and leak.
And while you’re looking for the source of the gas leak, only use a flashlight, never
a lighter or candle.
And, as I’ve learned from so many cartoons, don’t take a cigar or cigarette near anything
incendiary.
It seems like so much work because it is only a small gas leak.
A small gas leak is a major waste of money. And in an enclosed space, it creates a major
explosion risk – especially with your clothes dryer producing heat nearby.
The worst part is the smell.
If you smell gas, put your pedal to the metal and get a replacement. And turn off the gas
to your house until it gets fixed.