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Heating & Air Conditioning Home Repair Plumbing

Gas Leak? Natural Gas Furnace Help

Taylor McLennan

6 years ago

I have a central HVAC - natural gas furnace.

Currently I am still running A/C and the furnace as not on. However, I sniffed the air intake for the furnace and I get an odor of natural gas. The unit is in our garage and it intakes the air from the garage...exhausts to the outside.

Is it normal to have a light odor in the furnace when it is not running?

If not, I assume there is a leak?

If there is a leak, without testing, what would be the most likely issue? Valve or manifold?

I have ordered a gas detector, but I am looking for knowledge on the subject.

Thank you in advance.

Featured Answer

mike_home

6 years ago

It is never normal to smell gas or have a gas leak.

Where are you located and who is your gas company? Whenever you suspect a gas leak you should call the gas company immediately. They will come with their professional leak detector and verify if you have a leak or not. This should be a free service. You don't need to be buying leak detectors and trouble shooting this on your own.

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Comments (12)

Taylor McLennan
Original Author
6 years ago
PSNC is my gas company. Would they really check from the meter into the interior of the home? I guess I will give them a call and inquire at least.
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mike_home
6 years ago
They should check every gas connection in the house. The last thing any gas company wants is a gas explosion caused by a leak.

It is most likely not a gas leak, but just for piece of mind you should get them to do an inspection.
sdello
6 years ago
Actually gas meters have a vent on them to release excess pressure as needed. If the vent is ion the garage it might be possible to have slight gas odor with no real problem. Typically they vent outside.

That being said, I would definitely call the gas company and have them check everything.
User
6 years ago
Assuming you have "PSNC Energy", from their website, on gas safety: https://www.psncenergy.com/for-my-home/natural-gas-safety

Call 1-877-776-2427 immediately
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sktn77a
6 years ago
I have PSNC. They will come to your house and identify any leak you have for free. Unless it's just a loose connection, they will not fix. They may "red tag" it (turn it off and lock it) until you have a licensed plumber fix the problem.
kathyg_in_mi
6 years ago
I called our gas company, DTE, about me smelling gas on occasion, not all the time. They were here within the hour. I was sure it was from the dryer. Nope, there was a very small leak in the furnace! So small that he fixed it. At no cost to me!
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Taylor McLennan
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you everyone!
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toxcrusadr
6 years ago
If your furnace is old and has a pilot light that is lit all the time (even in summer), the fumes from that flame can smell a bit like gas. I just got a new gas range (switched from electric) and when we run the oven (which uses quite a bit of gas when preheating) there is a bit of an odor from the burners. I don't think it's actually gas leaking.
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User
6 years ago
Taylor, can you tell us what the problem was?
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Mule Meat
6 years ago
If you bought a "sniffer" do not relay on it 100%. Use a good spray leak detector such as NuCalgon. It will bubble with even the smallest leaks. Where as a sniffer can miss minute leaks with the slightest air movement.

Some people use pain dish soap and water mix in a spray bottle. But even it will not detect all leaks.
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mike_home
last year
So, what is the best way to handle natural gas leaks?

I stated this earlier, but it is worth repeating. The best way is to call the gas company. They have crews whose sole job is to find gas leaks. This is a free service. The gas company will make the repair free of charge if the leak is before the gas meter. If it is not you will be advised what repair needs to be done. Some gas companies may also do the repair and at a rate lower than the typcial licensed plumber.
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