Natural gas and propane are two common energy sources used in homes for heating, cooking, and water heating. Natural gas is essentially propane combined with a few other gasses. Natural gas is lighter than propane and has less of a tendency to collect near ground level, but for all practical purposes natural gas and propane do about the same thing.
Natural gas is usually delivered to a home through a pipeline from your local utility company. Propane is easier to compress and store and is most commonly delivered by a truck that fills a storage tank located next to your home.
Propane and natural gas are wonderful energy sources for heating, cooking, clothes drying, and water heating, but can be very dangerous if a leak develops. Gas leaks are rare, but they do happen. Propane and natural gas have an additive that makes them have a sulfur or rotten egg smell.
If you smell or even suspect a gas leak, leave the house immediately. Do not flip any switches and wait until you are outside the home to call 911. Don’t go back into the house until it is safe to do so. The next step is to locate the source of the leak and have it repaired. Emergency personnel or the utility company will turn off the gas supply to your home, but they don’t repair most gas leaks.
Many plumbing contractors handle gas leak repairs. They use specialized leak detection equipment to locate the source of the leak without causing unnecessary damage to your walls. Once the leak is located, your plumber can take care of any necessary repairs.
