Smell Gas? Leave, then call 911 or PSE

what to do if you smell gas

If you smell gas or suspect that you have a natural gas leak, leave the area immediately and call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or dial 911.

How to know you have a gas leak

Smell

In its natural state, natural gas is odorless, tasteless and non-toxic. But because it’s also flammable, PSE adds a distinctive sulfur or “rotten egg” smell to the gas that’s delivered to your home or business. If you’re unfamiliar with this odor (the smell of gas), test the “scratch and sniff” spot inside of the gas safety brochure.

Look and listen

You may also see or hear signs of a gas leak, including:

  • Bubbles rising in a puddle or other pool of liquid
  • Dust or dirt blowing from a hole in the ground
  • Dead or dying vegetation in unexpected locations
  • Hissing (small perforation) or roaring (large break)

Natural gas versus carbon monoxide

Both natural gas and carbon monoxide (CO) are naturally odorless and potentially harmful. But unlike natural gas, CO has no added scent to help you detect exposure.

To learn more about CO, visit Carbon Monoxide Safety .

What to do

If you detect or even suspect that you have a natural gas leak:

  • Leave the area immediately. If you’re indoors, evacuate the building.
  • Call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or call 911, but don’t use your landline phone, which may cause a spark.
  • Don’t do anything else that might create a spark, including flipping any switches on or off.
  • PSE will immediately dispatch a technician to check that your area is safe, at no charge.

Brochure request

To request a gas safety brochure, call 1-888-225-5773.

Water heaters are very dependable today, however even the best-built water heater will eventually fail at some point in time. Few people realize how much they count on a water-heating unit until the day that it actually stops working. Here are a few smart tips on how to handle the failure of a water heater in your home. Perhaps the most essential thing to remember is that when one does indeed fail it is important to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Whether you have an electric or gas unit, time is of the essence so plan on getting it fixed as soon as you can.

The Tankless Variety

Keep in mind that those with a storage tank style water heater that has failed may have the perfect opportunity to switch to a more efficient and more reliable system known as a tankless water heater. It is also worth noting that gas water heaters of the tankless variety are considered to be one of the most efficient types of water heating units available today. While it is true that tankless models tend to be pricier than conventional storage tank type water heaters, they will pay for themselves over the long term when it comes to energy savings and long-term reliability.

Mount Vernon Washington Water Heater Repair

When the day finally does arrive where a water heater does actually fail, remember that calling, as soonest possible, for help from a professional in the field will reduce the inconveniences that you may experience. In most instances once you have a professional in your home working on the problem it can be repaired in the same day having your home back to normal quickly. Whether a water heater fails completely or simply has a troublesome leak, calling in a professional is the best way to resolve the problem. Keep in mind that more serious cases where there is a sub floor that has rotted through or severe water damage has occurred may require additional time to resolve the situation, as would be expected.

Difficult To Access

Finally, one big concern that people have when a water heater unit does fail is that of cost. Remember that repair costs will depend primarily on the type of gas or electric water heater that you decide to replace the failed unit with and how easy it is to install. One example is when a water heater is hidden in an area of the home that is difficult to access. When this is the case, installation and repair costs can be considerably more than if a water heater is conveniently located out in the open in a garage, for example. Contact Alpine Heating & Cooling today to learn more about water heater repair in Mount Vernon Washington. Help is just a call away!

Adding a Generator

A few times a year I get asked to gas pipe in a generator, in this case it was to a Kolher 30kw.

Kohler Generator

Kohler Generator

Because a 30kw generator takes more gas than what a normal household gas line can carry the customer had the gas company install a high pressure gas meter. We then installed a pressure regulator at the generator location. This way we had plenty of fuel for the larger generator.

New regulator and gauge

New regulator and gauge

Above you see the new gas line with a new regulator installed. You will also notice we added a pressure gauge and bleeder after the regulator. My customer wanted to be able to monitor the pressure and bleed of any air or gas if need be.

Heating And Cooling Skagit County

Need a Heat Pump, Air Conditioner, Furnace, Boiler or Tankless Water Heater? We install them all over Skagit county including Mount Vernon WA, Burlington WA, Anacortes, Sedro Woolley, La Conner, Stanwood WA, and on Camano Is.