(937) 372-1445

Buyer's Inspection Service

Dayton, Ohio Home Inspectors

  • Home Inspections
    • The Inspection
    • Walk Through Inspection
    • New Construction
    • Inspection Report
    • Testing & Evaluation Options
    • Pricing
  • Commercial
    • The Inspection
    • Walk Through Inspection
    • The Inspection Report
    • Testing & Evaluation Options
    • Pricing
  • Consultation
    • Consultation Service
      • The Consult
      • Post Consultation
      • Pricing
    • Maintenance
      • Benefits
      • The Inspection
      • The Report
      • Pricing
  • Information
    • Choosing Inspectors
    • Comparing Inspectors
    • Licensed Inspectors
    • Walk Through Inspection
    • Sample Report
    • Additional Testing Options
  • About
    • The Inspection Team
    • How We Started
    • Our Home Inspection Guarantee
  • FAQ
    • Blog
    • Contractors
  • Contact Us
  • Reviews
You are here: Home / Safety / Gas Leaks: Finding and What to Do

July 3, 2022

Gas Leaks: Finding and What to Do

{CAPTION}Gas distribution systems in houses are the same for natural and propane gasses. Just like the best plumbing that has been trouble free for years can for no apparent reason develop a leak, so too can gas piping. The one difference is that with water, the pipe itself will often spring a leak whereas that is extremely rare for gas piping.
With gas piping it’s primarily the unions (a large nut like connector) that leaks. Pipe connections on black iron (steel) pipe can leak, but it is less common, they are a threaded connector joining straight pipes, right angles and T-shaped connectors.
Gas pipe connections are most commonly sealed with pipe dope (a paste) and sometimes with Teflon tape (pink for gas) Flexible CSST gas lines have a lot less connectors which dramatically reduces the likelihood for potential leaks.
If you think you smell gas do not ignore it. You should call a plumber (gas lines are a plumbing issue) or your gas supplier, who will check it for you (generally) at no charge, the down side is that they may shut off your gas until repairs are made by a plumber, they will NOT make repairs to homeowner piping.
Do not use a flame to check for leaks: there is no point in lighting a flame thrower inside your house!
If you have kids get a bottle of their “bubble juice”,  apply it to the suspected area with a spray bottle or paint brush and look for bubbles after a few seconds or up to a good minute for a very slow leak.
If you find a leak go back up the pipe and shut off the supply to that section of piping or piece of equipment, if the leak is on a main pipe (the large pipe about as big as your hand will just go around) you will need to shut off the gas at the meter, below or beside the meter there is a valve with a flat bar type handle usually aliened with the pipe. Using a wrench give it a half turn so that bar on the valve is now pointing across the pipe which cuts off the gas flow.
If its propane the shutoff is located at the tank and easily turned off by hand.
NOTE: We offer optional gas leak testing with our home inspections.

Article by David Roche / Plumbing, Safety Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Inspectors’ Recent Posts


Gas Line Dirt Legs

March 28, 2025 By David Roche

Gas and particularly natural gas piping may have traces of sediment or particulates in it, especially if work has been done to the underground piping under the street. To trap any contaminates before they flow into the appliance, blocking the burner and creating problems for the home owner a series of dirt legs are installed. […]Read More about Gas Line Dirt Legs

Thermostat Placement Is Crucial

March 13, 2025 By David Roche

A badly placed thermostat plays havoc with the heating and cooling of a house. In this case the wall light creates a warm zone beside the thermostat causing it to register hotter than the rest of the house. This means that it reaches what it registers as the set temperature shutting the furnace down before […]Read More about Thermostat Placement Is Crucial

Bath Overflow Loose

January 25, 2025 By David Roche

All too often the overflow on the bathtub is loose or worse yet loose and the gasket damaged. If the bath is filled up to the overflow and it is loose the water will go down behind the tub which if it’s on the second floor could damage the ceiling. The water can also create […]Read More about Bath Overflow Loose

Bonding Gas Piping

January 8, 2025 By David Roche

A bonding wire is often mistaken for a ground wire, it does not go to ground but back to the electric panel. When it is connected to black iron *(steel)* piping the paint under the clamp must be removed with a rasp or sandpaper to make a good contact, paint reduces the contact rendering the […]Read More about Bonding Gas Piping

High Efficiency Furnaces In Attic

December 31, 2024 By David Roche

High efficiency furnaces recognisable by the white PVC flue pipe, installed in an unheated attic is not your best choice of location, it may be the only place to put it which does not change the fact that it is not ideal. Yes, many builders and furnace installers are installing them in the attic without […]Read More about High Efficiency Furnaces In Attic

Buyer's Inspection Service

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 707
Xenia, OH 45385

Address (No walk-ins)
120 West Second Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Clebrating 26 Years of Business
ASHI - American Society of Home Inspectors
InterNACHI - International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
ASI - American Inspectors Society

Connect with Us

  • facebook
  • youtube
  • phone
  • email

NAHI - National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc.

About Us

We are local, not a franchise that "self certifies" its Inspectors. We have earned the highest level of licensure available in the country and are ready to give you the Inspection you deserve. Our referrals and reviews tell us that we are really detailed, strive to deliver a quality product and are great at explaining what we find.

Customer Reviews

Google Rating
Based on 553 reviews
Facebook Rating
Based on 25 reviews
Yelp Rating
Based on 13 reviews

(937) 372-1445
© 2025 Buyer’s Inspection Service · Legal Disclaimer