How to Deal With a Leaking Gas – Gas leaks can be a major health and safety hazard. The characteristics of unknown and uncontrolled gas leaks can cause house fires that are costly both morally and materially.
Gas leaks are usually characterized by a hissing sound and accompanied by a pungent aroma.
If you experience something like this, it is important to take quick action to prevent the gas from exploding or starting a fire. Read more about how to deal with leaking gas in the following explanation!
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Table of Contents
How to Fix Leaking Gas
1. Unplugging the Gas with the Stove
The first way is to separate the cylinder from the stove. This is a crucial step because a lit stove can be a source of fire and trigger an explosion in a gas leak.
Separating the gas means turning off the source, such as closing the main gas valve or gas tank.
This stops the flow of gas and drastically reduces the risk of an explosion. Avoid lighting stoves, matches or other tools that produce sparks during a gas leak.
2. Apply Additional Rubber Seal to Gas Cylinder
The hissing sound coming from the gas cylinder can be caused by a loose connection between the regulator and the gas.
So, how to deal with leaking gas like this? You can outsmart it by using the help of additional rubber seals. The reason is, this could be caused by damage to the seal.
The seal replacement process starts with removing the regulator from the gas cylinder, then replacing the old rubber seal with a new one, and reinstalling it tightly.
This is done using tweezers, scissors, and a new rubber seal cut into about ¼” pieces.
The new seal is inserted into the tube hole, added with the old rubber seal, and the regulator is reassembled properly. A final check needs to be done to ensure that no more hissing sounds are coming out.
3. Open Up the Windows and Doors
The next way to deal with a leaking gas stove is to make sure the air circulation in the room is in good condition.
This is very important to dilute the leaking gas and prevent poisoning or explosion.LPG gas, which is heavier than air, can settle in the room and create a dangerous atmosphere.
Opening windows and doors allows the gas to escape and fresh air to enter, so the concentration of gas in the room decreases and the risk of danger decreases.
Good ventilation helps evacuate leaking gas and speeds up the process of securing gas cylinders.
Also Read: “How to Choose a Propane Gas Hose“
4. Cover the Gas Cylinder with a Wet Cloth
You may have seen the use of wet cloth or towels as a way to deal with leaking gas in cylinders. Using a wet cloth can help cool the gas cylinder, slowing down vaporization and reducing the risk of an explosion.
A wet cloth can also help plug small leaks, slowing the escape of gas so you can take other precautions (such as getting the gas to an open area).
If a gas leak is accompanied by sparks, a wet cloth can also help put out small flames before they develop into a large explosion.
5. Submerge the Gas Cylinder in Water
If there is still a hissing sound in the gas cylinder after various attempts to resolve the rubber leak, the cylinder can be immersed in water to check for leaks at the bottom.
Air bubbles that appear indicate a leak. The final solution is to replace the gas cylinder with a new one to fix the leak.
6. Check the Gas Hose and Replace if it Leaks
Gas leaks can not only occur due to a loose connection between the hose and the cylinder. The source of leakage can also come from the regulator or gas cylinder hose that connects to the stove.
Check whether the hoses and regulators you use are of national standard (SNI). If not, you should immediately replace them to prevent further leaks in the future. Replacing these components is one way to deal with leaking gas on the regulator.
Also Read: “Signs of a Leaking Propane Tank“
7. If an Explosion Occurs Immediately Extinguish with an Extinguisher or Call The Fire Department!
If the steps above are not enough to prevent an explosion or the spread of fire, don’t hesitate to call the fire department so that the fire can be handled professionally.
For those of you who do activities at home using gas cylinders, whether for cooking or for other needs, it is important to find out how to deal with leaking gas to prevent explosions and fires.
However, understanding how to fix a gas leak without a regulator or with a regulator is not the only preventive measure that can be taken.
Choosing the right and high quality propane-related equipment is also needed to be accountable.
And in Indonesia, a high quality propane related equipment can be identified by the presence of the SNI logo on it.
The presence of the SNI logo is a sign that the said product has already been tested for its quality and safety aspects.
SNI standard is one thing that you can rely on in Indonesia when choosing the right high quality propane equipment.
And the SNI itself is a type of product approval that regulates almost all of the products that are sold and distributed in Indonesia.
And for the propane-related equipment, it is mandatory to be tested and certified by the SNI certification according to the already set standards.
The standard itself is clearly stated in:
- SNI 7213:2014: About rubber hose for LPG gas stove
- SNI 1590:2008: LPG steel tube valves
- SNI 7369:2012: Low pressure LPG regulator
- SNI 1452:2011: LPG steel tube
- SNI 7368:2011: Single furnace LPG gas fuel stove with mechanical ignition system
- SNI 7617:2013: LPG cylinder
- SNI 7614:2010: LPG steel tube high pressure regulator
- SNI 8022:2014: LPG stove thermoplastic elastomer hose
