New to gas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. I am a bit confused - do I need to buy gas detectors linked above only or also buy additional CO detectors and position them close to the ground? The gas detectors above seem to be plug-in - is that ok?

Thank you all - you have been very helpful.

I have never heard of anyone using gas detectors. You need CO detectors and they need to be placed lower than anyone in the house sleeps. CO is heavier than air and suffocates you without anyone realizing it. We know one family whose detector went off and saved their lives.

Echoing what PP said about repairs, don't DIY them and if they require a permit, get a permit. We had a visit from the Fire Department when a plumber screwed up moving an oven and had to call wash gas.

[Anonymous]

New PP - In all honesty, if you are unable to properly stay aware of things link a burner going out or unsure if you have strong sense of smell for natural gas, avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get detectors, make sure you place them low. If you put them on the ceiling, there is a good chance that it will be too late by the time they go off.

Gas is lighter than air and rises up you have to put them Up higher not lower!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many people have gas. Get CO detectors and check/test them monthly. I do ours on the 1st of the month so I don’t forget.

Someone checks our furnaces, HVAC, water heaters, and gas stove. The people who check the furnaces and HVAC come 2x a year and the rest usually come once. I do it through the gas and electric company, but many heating and plumbing companies have this sort of maintenance you can pay for. It can be pricey so check around. I think it’s worth it because they also check for CO and any damage that can possible cause an issue.

If you smell gas get out of your house and call the gas company or the fire department. Will say we had a CO detector go off and my spouse was home and called the fire department. It ended up being faulty alarm and not a problem, so we bought a new detector (get new detectors every few years should say on box) but the police told us if it happened again and it ended up being faulty we would be fined! For something you can’t smell or see! I told the cop next time I would call the gas company and he told me
I should call the fire department. 🙄 Luckily we haven’t had that issue again.

If you’re worried you can probably call the gas company and have them look at things (but you’ll be charged unless you smell gas or something). When we first bought our home the laundry room closet smelled like gas so I called the gas company and they came out, fixed it and checked everything else. They ended up redoing the entire gas main line and it all was no cost to me.

The ignorance about natural gas astounds me. Did you all fail high school chemistry? Natural Gas is NOT CO. Natural Gas is mainly CH4 which is Methane. I guess this is why grills have warnings not to use them idoors. People are zero awareness of the world around them.

+1000 the ignorance on this thread is astounding.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of anyone having a gas detector.

CO detectors, yes. If you bought recently or rent these are mandatory in MD (not sure about DC and VA).

[Anonymous]

If the gas company will inspect your systems, ask them to disconnect a gas line at an appliance and move as close as you can to the open gas connection while the gas technician opens the gas valve for a few seconds. Inhale deeply so you recognize the smell.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

[Anonymous]

I’ve got gas!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many people have gas. Get CO detectors and check/test them monthly. I do ours on the 1st of the month so I don’t forget.

Someone checks our furnaces, HVAC, water heaters, and gas stove. The people who check the furnaces and HVAC come 2x a year and the rest usually come once. I do it through the gas and electric company, but many heating and plumbing companies have this sort of maintenance you can pay for. It can be pricey so check around. I think it’s worth it because they also check for CO and any damage that can possible cause an issue.

If you smell gas get out of your house and call the gas company or the fire department. Will say we had a CO detector go off and my spouse was home and called the fire department. It ended up being faulty alarm and not a problem, so we bought a new detector (get new detectors every few years should say on box) but the police told us if it happened again and it ended up being faulty we would be fined! For something you can’t smell or see! I told the cop next time I would call the gas company and he told me
I should call the fire department. 🙄 Luckily we haven’t had that issue again.

If you’re worried you can probably call the gas company and have them look at things (but you’ll be charged unless you smell gas or something). When we first bought our home the laundry room closet smelled like gas so I called the gas company and they came out, fixed it and checked everything else. They ended up redoing the entire gas main line and it all was no cost to me.

The ignorance about natural gas astounds me. Did you all fail high school chemistry? Natural Gas is NOT CO. Natural Gas is mainly CH4 which is Methane. I guess this is why grills have warnings not to use them idoors. People are zero awareness of the world around them.

Gas is purposely scented. CO is much more likely to kill you and is odorless

and has been for decades. OP how do you cook on electric? yeuck. we are switching

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

Jesus OP.

CO detectors detect CO which is a byproduct of combustion that isn’t properly vented or something is wrong. This can happen if your appliance is malfunctioning and/or your venting is malfunctioning for any operating gas appliance: water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace, etc…

CO is deadly and undetectable.

Gas Leaks are very detectable and the reason gas detectors aren’t common is because 999/1000 times in the rare event of a gas leak you will smell it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

Jesus OP.

CO detectors detect CO which is a byproduct of combustion that isn’t properly vented or something is wrong. This can happen if your appliance is malfunctioning and/or your venting is malfunctioning for any operating gas appliance: water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace, etc…

CO is deadly and undetectable.

Gas Leaks are very detectable and the reason gas detectors aren’t common is because 999/1000 times in the rare event of a gas leak you will smell it.

sorry, i don't understand this part. what is burning there and releasing CO? sorry, i am just trying to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

Jesus OP.

CO detectors detect CO which is a byproduct of combustion that isn’t properly vented or something is wrong. This can happen if your appliance is malfunctioning and/or your venting is malfunctioning for any operating gas appliance: water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace, etc…

CO is deadly and undetectable.

Gas Leaks are very detectable and the reason gas detectors aren’t common is because 999/1000 times in the rare event of a gas leak you will smell it.

sorry, i don't understand this part. what is burning there and releasing CO? sorry, i am just trying to understand.

Did you graduate high school? Gas is burning in a gas appliance. It feels like OP is being intentionally obtuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

Jesus OP.

CO detectors detect CO which is a byproduct of combustion that isn’t properly vented or something is wrong. This can happen if your appliance is malfunctioning and/or your venting is malfunctioning for any operating gas appliance: water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace, etc…

CO is deadly and undetectable.

Gas Leaks are very detectable and the reason gas detectors aren’t common is because 999/1000 times in the rare event of a gas leak you will smell it.

sorry, i don't understand this part. what is burning there and releasing CO? sorry, i am just trying to understand.

Did you graduate high school? Gas is burning in a gas appliance. It feels like OP is being intentionally obtuse.

yes, i did graduate high school. i am phd, in fact
as the title says - i am new to gas. i literally know nothing about it - what is it and where it comes from. i don't understand how it is supplied, or how it heats. a gas stove and a gas fireplace are a bit more clear, because i can see the gas burning. but a gas stove can't burn gas and release CO if it's off, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

Jesus OP.

CO detectors detect CO which is a byproduct of combustion that isn’t properly vented or something is wrong. This can happen if your appliance is malfunctioning and/or your venting is malfunctioning for any operating gas appliance: water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace, etc…

CO is deadly and undetectable.

Gas Leaks are very detectable and the reason gas detectors aren’t common is because 999/1000 times in the rare event of a gas leak you will smell it.

sorry, i don't understand this part. what is burning there and releasing CO? sorry, i am just trying to understand.

Did you graduate high school? Gas is burning in a gas appliance. It feels like OP is being intentionally obtuse.

yes, i did graduate high school. i am phd, in fact
as the title says - i am new to gas. i literally know nothing about it - what is it and where it comes from. i don't understand how it is supplied, or how it heats. a gas stove and a gas fireplace are a bit more clear, because i can see the gas burning. but a gas stove can't burn gas and release CO if it's off, right?

OP. If you have a PhD surely you have research skills.

CO is created when there is incomplete combustion. Like a broken water heater or badly vented flue. Or a fireplace thats venting through a cracked chimney sending CO back into the house. You can’t really spot or tell this is happening.

Here’s a source: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/toxins/index.html

You should hire a tech from an hvac or plumbing company to do an inspection and explain this to you. Gas leaks are not your main concern here. CO is. But when maintained and accompanies by CO monitors it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

gas detectors detect leaking gas. CO detect gasses released by fire. the danger with gas is not poisoning but explosion. CO detectors are really not that relevant for gas, because they only react when it's too late?

Jesus OP.

CO detectors detect CO which is a byproduct of combustion that isn’t properly vented or something is wrong. This can happen if your appliance is malfunctioning and/or your venting is malfunctioning for any operating gas appliance: water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace, etc…

CO is deadly and undetectable.

Gas Leaks are very detectable and the reason gas detectors aren’t common is because 999/1000 times in the rare event of a gas leak you will smell it.

sorry, i don't understand this part. what is burning there and releasing CO? sorry, i am just trying to understand.

Did you graduate high school? Gas is burning in a gas appliance. It feels like OP is being intentionally obtuse.

yes, i did graduate high school. i am phd, in fact
as the title says - i am new to gas. i literally know nothing about it - what is it and where it comes from. i don't understand how it is supplied, or how it heats. a gas stove and a gas fireplace are a bit more clear, because i can see the gas burning. but a gas stove can't burn gas and release CO if it's off, right?

No, it can have other issues but unlikely.

The CO danger comes from furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces mostly.