A possibility of being intermittent could be if there is a leak between the line going from the ignition assemble to the burner. Then it would only leak when the water heater was on.
Intermittent, little, or no flow over an extended period of time may result in the loss of odorant until gas flow increases or becomes more frequent. If a natural gas leak occurs underground, the surrounding soil may cause odor fade such that the odorant may not be detected by smell in the atmosphere.
Gas Odors from Regular Emissions
There could be dust within components of your system if it is old and not maintained regularly. The faint odor may be from incomplete combustion caused by the presence of debris. Dust prevents the gas from burning completely, and some of it escapes from the exhaust.
The natural gas will be gone in just a few minutes but the smell may linger for an hour or more. Natural gas itself is lighter than air, and it rises upward. A house is not airtight. Natural gas will escape through the walls and the many small gap...
The smell of rotten eggs.
In its natural state, natural gas is odorless and colorless. To make gas leaks easier to detect, gas companies add chemicals called odorants to create a natural gas smell similar to sulphur or rotting eggs. The stronger this smell, the more likely it is that you have a gas leak.
They can even go on for months undetected. But if there's a significant amount of gas escaping from your system, it can cause a spike in your gas bill.
Hydrogen Sulfide
The gas has a strong scent of rotten eggs, which makes it distinct from other, similar gases. If you detect this rotten egg scent and you are using hydrogen sulfide at your facility, this could be evidence of a leak.
Although Alliant Energy adds a distinctive odor to natural gas as a safety precaution to assist in the detection of leaks, your sense of smell might not be enough to detect a leak. Strong smells in the area, like cooking or chemical odors, can mask the smell of natural gas.
If your home smells like gas, but there's no apparent leak, here are steps you should follow: Ventilate the house by opening all windows and turning on ceiling fans. After this, if the smell is persistent, evacuate your home. Put out any materials that can create a flame or cause a spark, such as any open flames.
Here's what you should DO if you smell gas: DO leave the home, building, or area of the suspected leak. Get to a safe area as quickly as possible. After leaving your home, DO call the 24-hour emergency number for Peoples at 1-800-400-4271, or call your local emergency response number.
It's normal for a faint odor to remain after lighting a stove or if the pilot light in a hot water heater, gas fireplace or other appliance goes out. Nonetheless, any possible leak must be taken seriously, especially if the odor is strong, persistent, or accompanied by a hissing sound.
Changes in sense of smell are most often caused by: illnesses such as a cold, flu or COVID-19. sinusitis (sinus infection) an allergy, like hay fever.
It is not normal to smell unburned gas in your home. Therefore, if you smell gas, you should open the windows, do not touch electrical switches, extinguish any open flame (burners, candles, etcetera), and promptly call your gas supplier from a phone outside your home.
In its natural state, LPG is an odourless and colourless gas. An odourant is added to make it easier to detect leaks – so when you “smell gas”, you're actually smelling that added odour. If you can smell gas, check: Whether any pilot lights on your appliances have gone out.
Rotten Egg Odors
Natural gas and propane have a distinctive smell for a reason. For safety purposes, utility companies use an additive called mercaptan that gives colorless and odorless gases a smell that is hard to miss. Most people describe this smell as something like rotten eggs, sewage, or sulfur.
In some instances, the smell of gas may be present naturally. However, leaks can occur, and we want to make sure they are resolved as quickly as possible. Natural gas is odorless, but an additive called mercaptan is included to alert people of leaks.
No, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms cannot detect natural gas leaks. They are designed to detect the presence of carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas formed during incomplete combustion of fuels like oil, gas, propane, and wood.
Large gas leaks are easily identified because of the smell, but smaller leaks often go unnoticed for a long period of time. Smaller gas leaks silently add to your indoor air pollution and harm your health in the process.
If there is a gas smell but no leaks, it could be the lingering propane odor due to poor ventilation or it coming from your neighbor.
Severe leaks can cause this problem in just five minutes. The EPA states that exposure to concentrations of nine ppm or more for eight hours is enough to produce harmful health effects for at-risk individuals. Exit the property and call 911 if you suspect your home has a gas leak.
Here are some signs of a natural gas leak:
An odor like rotten eggs caused by the Mercaptin mixed with the natural gas. Roaring sound like an engine. White vapor that looks like smoke. A hissing or whistling noise.
An olfactory hallucination, known as phantosmia, makes you detect smells that aren't in your environment. The odors you notice in phantosmia are different from person to person and may be foul or pleasant. You may notice the smells in one or both nostrils.
If you smell a sulfur or rotten-egg-like odor, you could have a gas leak. Natural gas is naturally colorless and odorless. We add an odorant called mercaptan to natural gas, which gives it a distinctive smell. In some cases, you can also identify natural gas by sight or sound.