After smelling gas in your home, you may have already taken the appropriate measures to contain the leak. You may have turned off the gas, opened your windows, and had the gas company come out to check for safety issues and pinpoint the source of the leak. 

Since the immediate danger has passed and you know the source of the gas leak, you may be tempted to try to fix the line yourself while the gas is off. However, there are a couple of reasons why you should never try to repair a gas line leak in your home yourself, and instead, have a certified professional fix it for you.

1. You Could Easily Start a Fire or Cause an Explosion While Working on the Line Even if the Gas Is Turned Off

One reason why you should not attempt to repair or even go near the damaged gas line is that you can easily start a fire or cause an explosion. Even if the gas is turned off, there are still residual fumes within the closed system.

If you do not know how to properly handle a gas line, even a small spark could ignite the fumes and cause a fire or an explosion. A professional, however, knows the proper techniques to safely work with gas lines, while greatly reducing the dangers involved.

2. You May Asphyxiate Yourself Working With the Gas Lines Without the Right Knowledge, Skills, and Tools

Another reason why you should never work on a gas line is that doing so could cause asphyxiation to yourself or anyone present while you work. Along with the gas fumes still in the line, there is also concentrated carbon dioxide (CO2) that can literally take your breath away if you were to inhale it while working on the line.

To reduce the amount of fumes and CO2, special knowledge, skills, and tools are required. Only a certified professional with experience working with gas lines, access to the right tools, and the know-how to use them should work on a gas line.

Along with the dangers involved with trying to repair a gas line in your home yourself, such as fire and explosion risks and the chance you will become asphyxiated, most areas do not allow work to be done on a gas line unless you have the proper certifications and permits. Because of this, you will need to have a professional perform the repairs on the line.

Contact a local plumbing company, such as Mesquite Plumbing Inc, to learn more.