???? about a possible gas leak in my basement?

Question

On sunday night i smelled what i thought was gas in my basment bathroom so i called the gas people. They came out and found a small leak in the laundry room where the water heater/furience is. Which they siad the fixed. I might ad that my laundry room and basment bathroom are right next to each other. So last night i smell the same strong gas smell in my bathroom so i called the gas man agian and they checked everything and all he found was a small leak in the dryer hose which he fixed, but he said the leak was so small it would not have been able to smell it. Then today i have smell the same thing 2 diff. times... and i have checked the rest of the house and its only in my bathroom. I dont know what else to do. Somebody told me it might be sewer gas but i have no clue they smell the same to me. I really dont want to blow up so if anyone has any advice that would be great.

Answer 1

im a plumber. Natural gas actually has no odor in and of itself the utility company "flavors" it so to speak with garlic to give it its pungent odor. sewer gas on the other hand is unmistakeable. it is derived from methane gasses rising from sewer system. sometimes in a laundry room, if the vent is plugged, or the drain is improperly plumbed, the wash machine can acutally "syphon" out the trap, which is that j-bendy lookin pipe below or behind the wash machine, its sometimes behind the wall. stick your nose in that pipe and take a whiff, if you got sewer gas, you'll know it. Also check around for floor drains, they also have traps in them, which are designed to hold a certain amount of water in place in the pipe, which "blocks" the sewer gasses from rising into the room. If those floor drains dry up, or evaporate, youre gonna smell some poopie-gas. simple answer to that is fill em up with water, couple of cups should do it. and by the way, if anyone from the gas company recognizes a hole on a gas line and says its "too small" to notice, call their supervisor and report them. cuz that's just stupid talk. hope this helps, V.C.

Answer 2

Call the gas company again. The service tech who shows up should be using a detector, a "sniffer" that detects natural gas.

Evey year there are houses blown to the ground by gas leaks, and 2 leaks that close together isn't a good thing, neither is the fact it took 2 times to find them.

The odor put in Natural gas an LPG is added to make you aware of a leak, and is NOT garlic,but it is VERY like the smell of methane sewer gas. Most people will not be able to tell the difference, so make the gas Co. come back until you are satisfied. Most heating contractors can also perform this service, and very reliabily, but that will cost you for the service call.

Good luck

Answer 3

Call them again, Lord knows you are paying enough for the service! I've smelled gas before and got that same line, "the leak was so small it was harmless and you shouldn't be able to smell it". Well I guess some of us just have better sniffers!?!

I don't care how small it is, I'd get it fixed. You can safely check for leaks yourself. Put some water in a paper cup with a couple drops of dishsoap. Paint it lightly on the fittins and valves with an old paint brush. It'll bubble up quickly to expose any leaks.

Answer 4

I assume they used a leak detector of some sort, so I would think the problem is elsewhere. A faulty gas appliance could be the cause, especially if they haven't been serviced lately, and aren't lighting off properly, causing a momentary spillage of raw gas. Or you may be experiencing downdrafts from windy outside conditions that are blowing fumes back into your basement.

Answer 5

When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you ever suspect a gas leak in the house, NEVER pick up the telephone. When you register a dial tone connection, there's a micro-spark at the control box in the basement that could ignite an explosion.

Answer 6

Put dish soap on the suspected leak...if if bubb les, you know.

Check the drains in the basement, pour water in each drain...if the trap is dry, sewer gas seeps in. Floor drains that are unused are especially susceptable.

Answer 7

what none of the other answers covered is the gas is heaver than air and can settle in lower portions of a home such as a basement. do call your gas provider and ask for a supervisor to be there during the inspection. good luck

Answer 8

Call the gas company again. thats what they are there for. They found a leak twice, so better be safe than sorry!

Answer 9

Go with your instinct and call them again. It is possible to intermittent leaks that are very difficult to find. If you can smell it, there is a leak. That's why they put the stink in it.

Answer 10

get the gas man out again. sewer and gas are two different smells dont mess with this my friend