Customer Symptoms:

A homeowner called to alert that he smelled gas inside his home and suspected a gas leak somewhere in the building. He had shut off the gas valve and contacted us immediately to ask for an emergency plumber.

Issue:

Our technician arrived on site and checked the gas valve to ensure that it was correctly shut off. The technician turned the valve back on to allow a small amount of gas to enter. The smell of mercaptan (or the “rotten egg smell”) was evident in the house, and the plumber quickly inspected the piping and fittings to locate the leak. The technician soaped all the fittings that he could find and in order to look for soap bubbles. The bubbles are a sign that the gas is leaking from that area, and he was able to locate the leak.

Resolution:

Once the leak was located, the technician began sandpapering the affected area and cleaned it down. He then retrieved an epoxy coating and applied it to the gas line where the leak was located. He held it firmly in the area that the pinhole leak was and advised the homeowner to let it cure overnight. Lastly, he tightened the gas fitting to ensure that it wasn’t loosened during the epoxy application. Once the gas valve was turned back on, a second soap bubble test was conducted in the area, but none were present, and the leak had been repaired.