It typically smells like rotten eggs, sulfur, or burnt garlic This distinct odor comes from a chemical called mercaptan, added to natural gas for safety reasons Recognizing this smell can be the first crucial step in preventing fires, explosions, or serious health hazards. A gas leak occurs when natural gas, often methane, escapes from a pipe or gas line Natural gas is a flammable substance that is commonly used in homes for heating, cooking, and hot water While the gas itself is odorless, gas companies add a distinctive rotten egg smell to it to make it easier to detect in case of a leak.
Natural gas is odorless by nature, but gas companies add a chemical to give it a distinctive smell to alert you of gas leaks. Recognizing the smell of a gas leak helps you detect a potentially dangerous problem and take action as soon as possible Here’s what you need to know. If you catch the strong, pungent odour of gas near the stove, cylinder or pipe, take it seriously Lpg has an artificial smell added precisely to warn you of leaks. Fluorine smells like bleach, butane has a faint petroleum smell with added mercaptan, and helium is odorless