Worried about Hidden Hazards at Home? Check out this Gas Safety Self-Inspection Guide!
Are you worried about potential safety hazards at home? Can you check for them yourself? Absolutely! Here's a comprehensive "Gas Safety Self-inspection Guide" for you.
Check for Leaks
1. Use Your Nose
Before gas enters residents' homes, it is odorized (with tetrahydrothiophene), giving it a pungent, rotten-egg smell. So, if you detect a similar odor at home, there may be a gas leak.
2. Check the Gas Meter
When no gas is being used at all, check if the numbers in the last red box of the gas meter are moving. If they are, there is a gas leak. (It is strictly prohibited to use an open flame to check for leaks.)
3. Apply Soapy Water
Mix soap or washing powder with water and apply it to areas prone to gas leaks, such as gas pipe joints, connection hose joints, and cock switches. If bubbles form and increase, it indicates a gas leak at that part.
What to Do if a Leak is Detected
- Immediately close the household gas valve (the main gas source switch).
- It is strictly prohibited to turn on or off indoor electrical appliances or use the phone indoors.
- Extinguish all open flames.
- Quickly open windows and doors to keep the air circulating, allowing the leaked gas to dissipate outdoors.
- Go to a safe outdoor area and call the 24-hour gas emergency repair service hotline to notify professional repair personnel to come and handle it.
- If you find a gas leak in your neighbor's house, knock on the door to inform them. Do not use the doorbell.
- If the situation on-site is serious, evacuate the scene immediately and call 110 to report to the police.
Check Gas Appliances
Using gas appliances that do not meet national standards, are counterfeit or shoddy, or have exceeded their scrapping age (8 years) is extremely likely to cause potential hazards such as gas leaks. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase compliant gas appliances and replace them in a timely manner when they reach the end of their service life.
Inspection Methods
1.Check for the Certification Mark；
2.Inspect the Gas Hose: To prevent mismatched connections and gas leaks.
3.Check the Product Nameplate: Each gas appliance should have a nameplate installed in an appropriate position. The marking content should include the product name and model, the gas type code or applicable area, the rated gas supply pressure, the rated heat load, etc.
4.Check the Service Life: 8 years for liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas fast water heaters and heating water boilers; 8 years for gas stoves. Gas appliances that have reached their service life should be compulsorily scrapped even if they appear to be in good condition.
5.Choose a Regular Channel: When purchasing, check whether the merchant has complete licenses and certificates. Try to purchase from regular places such as large shopping malls and exclusive stores. Also, check whether there is a safety compliance mark, the manufacturer's name, address, and a user manual consistent with the product.
Check the Stove Flame-out Protection Device
Some countries have their mandatory standard for "Household Gas Stoves", all gas stoves must be equipped with an automatic flame-out protection device. The main function of the flame-out protection device is to automatically cut off the gas within 60 seconds when the gas stove accidentally goes out, avoiding potential safety accidents such as gas leaks.
Inspection Method
The flame-out protection device is usually installed near the burner head, with a diameter of approximately 2-4 millimeters. During the inspection, ensure that there is a sensing probe on the stove and that the probe is properly connected to the flame-out protection device, which can automatically close the gas passage when the burner is not lit, accidentally goes out, or the flame detector fails, preventing gas leaks.
Safety Tips
Replace the gas stove with one that has a flame-out protection device, or purchase a flame-out protection device and ask a professional technician to install it.
Check the Connection Hose
Numerous accident cases have shown that traditional rubber hoses are prone to aging, wear, detachment, and being bitten by rats, resulting in gas leaks. Moreover, the lifespan of rubber hoses is shorter than that of gas appliances, which does not meet national standard requirements.
Inspection Methods
Check the length of the stove connection hose. It should not exceed 2 meters and there should be no joints in the middle.
It is not allowed to use a "tee" (multi-nozzle valve) to connect multiple gas stoves in violation of regulations.
Check whether the hose compliance with relevant standards.
Safety Tips
Purchase and use metal hoses that comply with the relevant standards, and regularly check for aging or looseness. Replace them in a timely manner if any issues are found.
