There are two and only two things that you can and should be doing to prevent your furnace from giving off a gas smell when you turn it on.
Furnace gas leak repair.
Labor rates for furnace repair reflect the cost of living in the region.
A problem with the heat exchanger in your furnace could cause a water leak and unfortunately is one of the most expensive repairs.
Turn off the gas supply valve typically located by your gas meter on the gas inlet pipe.
A new unit may need to be installed.
This is what gives gas that unmistakable smell.
The gas company will respond to you immediately and at no charge.
Contact your local heating company for annual maintenance and inspection of your home s gas heater.
The device will alert you whenever it detects high levels of carbon monoxide.
While natural gas is odorless on its own manufacturers are required by law to add a chemical known as mercaptan.
Turn off the gas by rotating the valve one quarter turn with an adjustable wrench.
However the gas company will not fix the problem you ll have to call in a plumber or hvac professional for that.
The gas company technician when he or she arrives will shut off the gas supply for safety and determine the source of the leak.
It s typically highest in the northeast.
If you detect the odor of natural gas in your home get out and call for help immediately.
Some furnaces have gas valves that require more labor than average to replace which also leads to higher prices.
Sometimes a recently used air conditioner will overflow its own drip pan and leak onto the furnace creating the illusion that it is the furnace leaking.
Just ensure the detector has full batteries and is located close to the furnace.
This is a very minor issue and easily solved by emptying your air conditioner s drip pan regularly.
Carbon monoxide is fortunately easy to detect in gas furnace leaks.
Furnaces in attics and crawlspaces are harder to work on so repair costs are higher.
The only real big cause of a furnace leak would be an incorrectly installed flue the big metal pipe that carries exhaust out of the home.
In many cases they are nearby or in sequence.
Preventing a gas fire is the number one priority once a gas leak is identified.
To shut off the gas supply to your home turn the valve until it rests perpendicular to the supply pipe here the gas is on.
Simply purchase a carbon monoxide detector and place it near the furnace.
The goal here is not to treat a gas leaking furnace but to educate you on how to prevent it.
A gas furnace might leak if a standard efficiency gas furnace doesn t have that many potential causes for a leak so your options are quite easy here.
Preventative maintenance and using carbon monoxide detectors.