gas leak intermittent

[Paul R. Beeksma]

I first smelled gas in my kitchen, seemingly from the range, newly installed by the previous bank owner, after moving into my house 2 months ago. The scent is only intermittent, lasting a few seconds, and it only occurs when the range is off. The gas company pulled out the range and found a leak with a sniffer at the elbow at the wall. They shut off the gas at the meter.

A plumber inspected and soaped(?) behind the range and found no leak. The gas company came out again and found no leak even though no repairs had been done. They checked something at the meter and said, if a leak existed, they would be able to tell by looking at the meter–there was “no movement.”

A month ago, certain I still smelled gas, particularly when leaning on the counter near the range, I called the plumber again. This time, he cut a hole in the wall, inspected the plumbing into the wall, and went under the house into the crawl space, finding no leak.

Again, I am certain I smell gas. I have not smelled it when a serviceman has had the range pulled out from the wall. Could something having to do with it being pushed back cause a leak that goes away when the range is pulled out? Could something in the range be causing the smell that a plumber wouldn’t detect? Should I just expect to smell gas intermittently with some appliances?

Thank you in advance for your help!    

[SelgasParticipant]

If you gas cooker is connected to the gas supply by a flexible hose that plugs into a “bayonet type” fitting ( which in itself is an isolating valve ) it is possible that when the cooker is pushed back into place the hose may be under some pressure forcing the coupling in the bayonet to not connect straight into it and being on a very slight angle it is possible for a very faint leak to develop. In saying this if this were the case then the leak would be present continually well for as long as the cooker was pushing back on the hose.

To test for any possible leaks your gasfitter should apply a manometer gauge at the gas meter test point, then shut the gas meter down and check after 10 minutes or so if the pressure on the gauge has dropped – if it has then there is a definite leak somewhere. A soap or detergent squirt over joints will not always indicate a very small leak and it even at times temporally seals it off until the detergent disapates. Another oprion may simply be that one of the gas valves on the cooker is allowing a very small amount of gas to pass through to one of the burners and that is where the smell is coming from – this would be my first thought given the smell is intermittent and difficult to locate.

Hope all of this helps.

[paulplumbParticipant]

I would grease the gas cocks on the range as a precaution.

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