Gas smell but TRANSCO say no leaks

Another query! There is a sporadic gas smell in two rooms of my house - I have had TRANSCO over and they can't find any trace of a leak either in my house or my adjoining neighbours house. Visitors have commented on the smell - although it happens rarely (once a week?) it's quite strong.

What smells like gas but isn't ... ??!?!

LS.

Reply to
Liz S
Loading thread data ...

A dead mouse? A cracked sewer line?

Reply to
shaun

A faulty electrical fitting such as a switch of bulb holder can give off an intermittent smell. Whether of not it would be described as gas, I'm not sure, most people describe it as a bad eggy kind of smell. Perhaps you could associate the times with the use of a certain light or appliance.

Andy

Reply to
Andy Cap

Maybe your or a neighbour's gas boiler flue gases getting in via an air brick or something?

Reply to
daddyfreddy

Any old gas fittings around, or disconnected pipes? They can smell for some time.

A few years ago, I removed the old gas supply pipework which was left over when the gas main was replaced in the street and new feeds and meters provided. It still had a strong smell of gas, but it was town gas. I had completely forgotten that town gas smelt different. Funny how you can remember a smell from over 30 years ago.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Possibilities:

1) There is a gas appliance which is leaking gas when in use but not when turned off - like when Transco (or anyone else) test for leaks. 2) An old dead gas pipe is getting hot and giving of the impreganted smell

My money's on the former.

Reply to
Ed Sirett

It doesn't help your problem but does answer your question, type aggregate smells of gas

-- Nick H

Reply to
Nick H

My memory of the smell of town gas is inextricably linked with the old railway station buildings in the town where I grew up - I'm pretty sure they hadn't used the gas lights for years, but it still stank.

Reply to
Rob Morley

| Another query! There is a sporadic gas smell in two rooms of my house - I | have had TRANSCO over and they can't find any trace of a leak either in my | house or my adjoining neighbours house. Visitors have commented on the | smell - although it happens rarely (once a week?) it's quite strong. | | What smells like gas but isn't ... ??!?!

Is anyone using an LPG heater? These when showing a nice blue flame IME smell slightly which may be mistaken for gas.

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

Crushed stone smells like gas?

You don't mean fly ash do you?

Reply to
Weatherlawyer

The standard detection equipment used by Transco for gas detection can detect gas concentrations which are below the threshold of smell i.e a few hundred parts per million in air.

No one is infallible and circumstances can change situations so although it has been checked, it does no harm to have it rechecked. How many times have they visited?.

Of course there are substances and circumstances which can produce smells similar to natural gas.

If the smell was like gas and it was constant, it might be possible to capture a sample and have it analysed using gas chromatography which would compare the sample smell with a reference sample of distributed natural gas,thus confirming or otherwise whether it was gas or not.

Some plants give off gas like smells.

If you are anxious about this,you can buy natural gas detectors in big diy stores like B n Q,just like CO or smoke alarms. I have seen plug in versions and battery powered ones (i think)

Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

formatting link

Reply to
tarquinlinbin

What test equipment did they use? If they did a pressure drop test on the distribution pipework, but this wouldn't show up any leaks from their service pipe, i.e., before the meter isolating valve or from the meter isolating valve itself.

There might be a leak outside that can be smelt indoors under some circumstances, e.g., specific wind direction, frozen impermeable ground causing the gas to surface some distance from the leak, etc.. Where is the gas meter? Where are the 2 rooms in relation to the gas meter?

Reply to
Aidan

Is this actually detecting the methane or is it detecting the methyl mercaptan added to make the pong?

Mercaptans can come from a variety of sources of course.....

Reply to
Andy Hall

I suspect not the methane - methane is a relatively common gas around humans.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

No it doesnt detect the odorant. This wouldnt not be a valid means of gas detection as some parts of the network carry unodorised gas.

The machine,in simple terms,works by drawing in a sample which passes through a small combustion chamber containing a catalytic element. Current passes through the detector element and the resistance of the detector element is a function of the heat being generated by the reaction of the hydrocarbon gas with the catalytic element. In practice, such instruments could be used to detect a wide range of hydrocarbon gases but each instrument is calbrated for the gas which is used eg mainly methane. They will detect some other hydrocarbons but will give an inaccurate reading. The instruments are tested/recalibrated at a period not exceeding one week on a computerised jig which is supplied by the manufacturer.

Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

formatting link

Reply to
tarquinlinbin

Mice (dead or alive)?

Reply to
John

The most obvious culprit is salad dressing left-overs made with garlic. This smells so much like gas, it's uncanny.

MM

Reply to
MM

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.