Propane: What’s that Smell?
Know how to protect your family, and your home!
When it comes to propane safety and your southwest Virginia home, your best tools are your nose, and your smarts.
Your nose is important because it will smell propane if there’s a leak. Did you realize that when it’s initially made, propane has no odor? An odorant is actually added during processing to make it detectable. The odor is often described as smelling like rotten eggs – if you’ve smelt it before, you know it’s hard to forget!
Your smarts come in with knowing what to do when you detect that rotten-egg smell. Don’t panic, but don’t wait to act, either. Here’s what to do:
- Get everyone out of the house IMMEDIATELY.
- On your way out of the house, don’t touch anything that can create a spark, such as appliances, lamp or light switches, and landline and cell phones.
- If you can safely get to it, and know how to do this, turn off the propane supply valve of the propane tank.
- Once you get a safe distance away from the house, use your mobile phone or a neighbor’s phone to call 911.
- Stay away and don’t try to go back to the house until emergency personnel or a qualified propane service technician give the OK to do so.
- The service technician needs to inspect and pressure-test your propane system and all propane appliances in the house, and relight all the pilots, before you can return.
Other propane safety tips
- All adults in your home need to know how to detect the smell of propane, what to do if they do smell it, and how to shut off the propane supply valve. Get in touch with us and we’ll be glad to teach you!
- Rust in your propane tank can diminish or inhibit the rotten-egg smell of propane gas. We strongly urge you to install a propane leak detector.
- You must have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home if you use propane or any fuel-burning appliance, and/or an attached garage. They need to be on every level of your home, and outside all sleeping areas.
- The best way to protect against propane leaks is regular, professional maintenance of your propane tank and all propane appliances.
Midway Gas is dedicated to ensuring your propane safety. Have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us.
Midway – providing reliable Propane Delivery across Southwest Virginia!
