5 Causes of Gas Line Explosions (You Must Know!)
- Gas Line Leak The smallest gas line leak can fill a room with gas and cause asphyxiation. ...
- Faulty Gas Line Installation All too often, gas leaks are due to a faulty gas line installation. ...
- Random Excavations Near Underground Gas Lines Another common cause for gas line explosions are excavations near underground gas lines. ...
- Faulty Gas Appliances ...
- Static Discharge Near Natural Gas Lines
Full Answer
What causes gas explosions?
Put simply, gas explosions occur when there is a spark or flame in the presence of a gas leak. Specific causes include:
Why does gas smell?
The gas running through our pipes is naturally odorless. Because of this, gas companies usually add an odorant to it. The smell is unpleasant, like a rotten egg. This allows you to smell the gas if there is a leak. Accordingly, preventing gas line explosions begins with smelling the gas and then taking that smell seriously. Even the smallest spark can ignite the gas into a serious explosion.
How often do people use gas?
Most people use natural gas or propane every day in their homes or workplaces. Gas heats our water and our living spaces and provides the fuel for our cooking appliances. Regardless of how often we use gas, it’s important to remember that it is highly combustible, and if it leaks, it can be very dangerous.
Can you call in a leak from outside?
Don’t use your phone inside. Call in the leak from outside.
What Causes Gas Explosions?
Often, during the coldest seasons of the year, we hear of gas explosions where an entire family is killed as a result of a faulty gas heater or leak in the gas lines. Recently, we have heard of troubling situations where the gas lines coming to and from a home simply wear out or rust, allowing gas to escape.
Why did the gas explosion happen?
The explosion was investigated and believed to have occurred due to worn-out couplings and pipelines along the street. Below are a few of the major causes of gas explosion: Improper use of gas furnace, stove, or appliance, including leaking due to gas lines being hooked up incorrectly.
What is rusty gas line?
Old, worn-out, rusty gas lines coming from the street into your home. Defective equipment, including gas grills, acetylene torches, and other equipment that uses gas as a power or fuel source. Violations of codes and standards governing the safe handling of gas or propane.
What Causes Gas Explosions?
If there’s a gas leak somewhere in the building, there’s a chance that the gas can be ignited and cause a fire. There are several common causes of these leaks and fires that you need to be looking out for.
Why does my gas line leak?
Damaged gas lines: If a gas line isn’t properly maintained, it can start leaking gas. This often happens when they start developing rust and other issues.
How Can You Prevent Gas Explosions?
This is all very worrying, but how do you ensure that you won’t be the victim of a gas explosion yourself? There are steps you can take to lessen the risk to your building and the people who live in it or use it every day.
What happens if you smell gas in a building?
You may experience light-headedness, dizziness, nausea, and headaches if there’s a leak. If you go outside and start to feel better, that’s a sign that there’s a gas leak.
How to stop gas from burning in building?
If you ever smell gas, you should be able to go out to it and shut the mains off, cutting the supply of gas. That’s going to prevent a fire most of the time, as there will be no gas that can be ignited.
How many fires are caused by natural gas?
The NFPA reports that an average of 4,200 fires a year are started by the ignition of natural gas. These fires cause an average of 42 deaths and 140 injuries. Over half of those fires are started by cooking appliances, so you can see how important it is to maintain any cooking equipment in the building.
Is it safe to smell gas?
It’s important to be aware of the risk of gas explosions. But there’s no need to panic if you ever do smell gas. If you’ve been keeping up with maintenance and are quick to evacuate, there shouldn’t be any danger to anyone in the building.
What happens when gas gets into a house?
In a house explosion, gas gets into the residence and then catches fire, pipeline safety expert Cesar de Leon said.
Where was the gas explosion in Espanola Drive?
A gas explosion rocked this house, sending five people to the hospital in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive in Dallas on Feb. 23, 2018. This is the third incident in three days where someone was injured in a gas-related accident in the neighborhood. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
What to do if you smell gas in your house?
So if you smell gas in your house —the odor is often likened to the smell of rotten eggs — get out right away, de Leon said. Don’t turn on any lights or start your car, don't strike matches or use a garage door opener, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration says. Just leave.
What happened to Linda Rogers?
A house in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive exploded Friday, killing 12-year-old Linda Rogers and injuring four others. Less than a half-mile away, a gas leak forced the evacuation of 90 units in an apartment complex Sunday in the 3400 block of Hidalgo Drive.
What is the number to call for gas?
Get to a neighbor’s house or other safe distance, then call 911 or the emergency line for your gas provider. For Atmos, that number is 866-322-8667.
Where was the house explosion in Dallas?
Dallas Fire and Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said five people were transported to the hospital before sunrise after a house exploded in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive near Love Field in Dallas.
When did Texas require gas lines to be replaced?
The Texas Railroad Commission— the entity in charge of regulating Texas pipelines — adopted a safety rule in 2011 that requires gas distribution companies like Atmos to replace steel service lines to prevent gas explosions. Steel was used for service lines dating back to the 1960s.
What happens if a gas line is not connected correctly?
If the gas line is not connected correctly or if it is damaged, it can potentially lead to a buildup of pressure which in turn could cause an explosion.
What happens if you leak gas?
If your natural gas is leaking, there’s a good chance that it will eventually catch fire and cause an explosion. Be sure to vacate the scene and call 911 if you suspect a gas leak.
How big is a gas stove explosion?
Well, it depends on what caused the explosion in the first place, however, gas stove explosions can be quite big and extremely deadly.
How to detect gas leaks near stove?
Install a gas leak detector near your stove. A carbon monoxide alarm will help you detect a gas leak before it becomes too dangerous.
Why do gas shutoff valves work?
During earthquakes, automatic shutoffs can help prevent fires caused by leaking gas.
Why is the stove safety feature important?
This safety feature will prevent the stove from being accidentally knocked over while cooking, which could cause the stove to ignite and cause an explosion.
What is a flame failure device?
The flame failure device on a gas stove is designed to turn off the gas supply in the event of unstable or absent flames. It is designed to automatically shut off when there are no flames detected for a certain period of time thus preventing gas leaks.
Why does natural gas leak?
This is because the gas, in this case, will accumulate and back up through its lines. Its increasing pressure breaks a weak spot in your lines and leaks through it.
Why do gas appliances leak?
Gas-powered appliances typically handle heavy use and over time malfunction owing to ordinary wear and tear. This, in turn, leads to leaks. It is essential to stick to a proper maintenance schedule for your appliances based on the appliance type and its pattern of usage.
What to do if gas leaks in Orem?
An emergency plumber based in Orem should be the first person you call to remedy the issue. A rotten egg or sulfuric smell, dead landscaping patches, spiking gas bills, and a hissing sound from your gas lines are some of the standard pointers of a gas leak. Most property owners will reach for store-bought caulk and other products to seal the section they assume is damaged. While this might sound effective, it often only leads to a slow gas leak that causes grave issues within a short period. In professional repair, your plumber will first assess the cause of the leak. This way, the solutions he/she employs avert the risk of future gas leaks and effectively seal the leaking section. Here are the common issues attributed to gas leaks.
What to do if gas leaks in a building?
Even as you call a plumber to assess which of the above has caused your gas leak and intervene appropriately, you should take specific measures to protect your building and its occupants. Open all windows and doors to promote ventilation and avoid lighting matches or other naked flames. Do not also turn lights on and off or use other electrical appliances and switches since you trigger explosions this way.
What is gas fitting?
Your property’s gas fittings are the meters, valves, and pipes that transport it to your main supply line and the gas-powered appliances. The connections are the points between the appliances and these fittings. To some people, installing the fittings and connections sounds like a simple task of matching entry points. There, nonetheless, are specifically skilled plumbers for fittings and connections that should handle this task. A shoddy job often leads to gas leaks and leaves you with costly repair and re-installation expenses.
Can gas lines be damaged?
The primary gas supply line to your property is buried underground. The pipe can be accidentally damaged during the repair of water and nearby gas lines. Accidental damage of underground gas lines can also follow earth movements that press upon it.
Why do gas lines explode?
According to Zinda Law Group, causes include: improper use of gas appliances; gas leaks as a result of gas lines being improperly connected; old, rusty gas lines; defective equipment; gas or propane in violations of codes; and improperly-installed gas tanks in cars and trucks.
Why did the Baltimore gas line explode?
It is unclear exactly why the BGE gas line exploded in Baltimore today. Tasha Jamerson, BGE’s Communications Manager, provided a statement to WBAL-TV 11 about the explosion.
What happened to the Baltimore gas line?
A Baltimore gas line exploded Monday morning. Shortly before 10 a.m. Monday morning, Aug. 10, a sudden explosion occurred on Labyrinth Road in northwest Baltimore; the local fire department is fairly certain this was the result of a gas line exploding, but Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) says there is not yet concrete evidence of that.
How many houses were destroyed by the Labyrinth Road explosion?
As seen in footage and photos shared by local news outlets, the houses on Labyrinth Road are built very close together, so when the gas line suddenly blew up, it completely knocked out three houses. The explosion also knocked doors and windows off of neighboring homes and parked cars.
How many people were injured in the Baltimore gas line?
On Monday morning, a gas line in Baltimore suddenly exploded, destroying three houses, critically injuring six people, and tragically killing one woman.
What community came together to help those affected by the explosion?
Within hours of the explosion, the Baltimore community quickly came together to help those affected by the explosion.
What did the Red Cross do at the scene of the explosion?
The Red Cross also promptly showed up at the scene, providing comfort buses and other resources for those affected by the explosion. Additionally, the city will be providing hotel rooms to those who lost their homes (as well as to those who lost gas or power due to the explosion).
Where does the natural gas pipeline fail most often?
Currently, natural gas makes up almost one-fourth of all primary energy usage in the U.S. [iv]. Over 65 million homes, 190,000 factories, 5 million businesses, and 1,900 electric generating units use natural gas [v] . Each of these end users obtains their natural gas supply via the distribution pipeline, the same pipeline that experiences the highest number of failures. The pipeline area with the highest number of incidents is the pipeline closest to concentrated communities.
How many incidents have occurred in natural gas pipelines?
During the 12.5-years between 2000 and 2013, there have been 498 serious incidents in which onshore natural gas pipelines have failed [vi]. Of the 498 serious incidents in which natural gas pipelines have failed, 81 of the failures resulted in an explosion [vii]. The causes of these 81 explosions ranged from issues directly associated with a specific pipeline company to pipeline failures that occurred in or around residential housing.
What are the steps of natural gas?
The steps of the natural gas process are extraction, transport, storage, and distribution. The steps that commonly have the most incidents deal with the pipeline transportation and distribution of natural gas. Natural gas pipeline transportation can be broken down into interstate and intrastate transmission pipelines. The function of transmission natural gas pipelines is to transport the natural gas from one part of the US to another. At the end of 2008, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a total US interstate and intrastate transmission natural gas pipeline mileage of 305,954 mi. in the lower 48 states [ii]. The natural gas distribution pipeline system, which accounts for approximately 2,066,000 miles of pipeline, is the way in which natural gas is distributed to homes and businesses via mains and service lines [iii]. Because gas distribution pipelines are located in densely populated communities with both businesses and homes, there is an increase in the opportunity of a pipeline failure resulting in an explosion due to the area of pipeline being heavily concentrated.
Can natural gas pipelines explode?
While not impossible, it is safe to say that the likelihood of a natural gas pipeline failing and resulting in an explosion is incredibly small. Despite some recent high-profile gas explosions, it is still reasonable to assume that the natural gas pipelines aren't the issue. Although natural gas disasters do occur, much of this can be attributed to areas with an aging infrastructure, such as the Northeast, and point of use where the break occurs, and not so much the distribution of natural gas pipelines.
How Common Are Gas Explosions?
What Causes Gas Explosions?
- If there’s a gas leak somewhere in the building, there’s a chance that the gas can be ignited and cause a fire. There are several common causesof these leaks and fires that you need to be looking out for. Incorrect installation: If a gas using appliance, such as a furnace or stove, has been improperly installed, it’s at risk of leaking gas. This ca...
How Can You Prevent Gas Explosions?
- This is all very worrying, but how do you ensure that you won’t be the victim of a gas explosion yourself? There are steps you can take to lessen the risk to your building and the people who live in it or use it every day. Here’s what you can do. Call in fire prevention experts: This is the most important thing you can do when it comes to preventing gas explosions. As a layperson, you ca…
Conclusion
- It’s important to be aware of the risk of gas explosions. But there’s no need to panic if you ever do smell gas. If you’ve been keeping up with maintenance and are quick to evacuate, there shouldn’t be any danger to anyone in the building. Follow these tips to keep everyone safe and sound in the event of a gas leak.