Water heater is one of the most famous modern day luxury equipment in the world. Water heater can help you by providing hot water in cold weather.
But there are some things you have to be careful when it comes to water heater. Today, we are going to discuss and find out why a water heater might smell like gas.
Should my water heater smell like gas?
Your water heater should not smell like gas under normal circumstances. It is possible that a gas leak might be the reason why your water heater smells like gas.
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Water heater manufacturers make the water in a way that it is powered by natural gas. The characteristics of natural gas make it odorless and tasteless.
However, an additive is added in the mechanism of water heater by manufacturers so that you can smell a gas leak. The name of the smelly additive is Mercaptan.
So you may think you are smelling gas, but it is actually the additive mercaptan you are smelling.
Why does my water heater smell like gas?
Water heater can smell like gas for a number of reasons. These reasons include gas leak, burned wires and parts, and bacteria inside the water heater. The gas smell is often caused by the additive Mercaptan which is put in the water heater by manufacturers to make gas leaks detectable.
There are many reasons why your water heater might smell like gas. Let’s discuss in detail about those reasons.
Gas leak:
The most common and valid reason why your water heater might smell like gas is that you have a gas leak in the water heater.
Gas leaks can happen as most of the water heater is powered by natural gas. A gas leak should not taken lightly as it can cause all sorts of accidents inside your home.
Additive:
We have already talked about how water heater is powered by natural gas. But the thing about natural gas is that it does not smell.
That is why water heater manufacturers add the Mercaptan additive in the natural gas so that you can follow its smell to identify a gas leak.
This additive has a smell similar to the chemical Sulfur. So if you detect sulfur like smell coming from your water heater, then it is more likely a gas leak.
Bacteria:
Sometimes the gassy smell you detect from your water heater might be caused by bacteria. The aluminum and magnesium anodes of your water heater produces gassy smell due to reaction with bacteria. This smell is not caused by gas leaks.
Faulty wires and parts:
Sometimes the wiring system of your water can become faulty and emit gas like smell. The water heater can smell like gas if the wires and parts inside it get burned due to technical reasons.
Is it normal to smell a little gas near a water heater?
It is far from being normal when you smell a little gas near a water heater. Your water heater is not supposed smell like gas. If you smell gas near your water heater, then there might be a gas leak in the water heater.
Because you cannot smell natural gas because of its non-odor characteristics. But the water heater manufacturers make sure that you get to identify a gas leak by adding a smelly additive like Mercaptan into the natural gas.
But there are some exceptions regarding this matter. Because bacteria present in the water heater can also cause gas like smell by creating chemical reaction with aluminum and magnesium anodes of the water heater.
Additionally, the wires and electrical parts of the water heater can also produce gas like smell by getting burned. But it is never normal to smell a little gas near a water heater as it indicates that there is something wrong with your water heater.
Why do these water heaters smell like gas?
Different types of water heaters can smell like gas for different reasons. Let’s look at some of the water heaters below to find out the reasons.
Electric water heater:
In an electric water heater, the water heating process is done with the help of electric heating rods. Electric water heater is not powered by gas. But it can certainly smell like gas due to a variety of reasons.
One of the major reasons why an electric heater might smell like gas is when the parts and wires inside the electric water heater gets burned. The burned wires and parts will emit a gassy smell.
Gas water heater:
Gas water heater is usually powered by gas. When it starts smelling like gas, it can mean a lot of things.
The gassy smell can indicate a certain gas leak as manufactures add a strong smelly additive like Mercaptan to the gas inside the gas water heater. The gassy smell can also be caused by bacteria inside the gas water heater.
Sometimes the wires and the components inside the gas water heater can emit gas like smell when they get burned.
Hot water heater:
Hot water heater’s source of power to heat the water is air. But it can also emit gas like smell due to several reasons.
The wires and the crucial components of hot water heater can sometimes be responsible for the gassy smell. Because they can become burned and smell like gas.
Tankless water heater:
Tankless water heater can be powered by electricity, gas or propane. But they can also smell like gas for many reasons.
A gas powered tankless water heater can smell like gas due to a gas leak. Other types of tankless water heater can emit gas like smell when its parts and wires get burned.
How do I know if my hot water heater is leaking gas?
It can be very hard to know if your hot water heater is leaking gas. However, there are some signs and symptoms you can look for to identify a gas leak in the water heater. Let’s discuss in detail about them.
The smell:
The first and foremost sign of a gas leakage from your hot water heater is the gassy smell. Although natural gas does not have a smell.
But the hot water heater manufactures make it easy for you to identity the gas leak by adding the Mercaptan additive in the natural gas of the hot water heater. This additives smells like rotten egg and sulfur.
The sound:
Apart from the smell, a gas leak in your hot water heater will also create a subtle sound that you need to look for. The sound is almost similar to a hissing sound.
Faulty drain valve:
You should inspect the drain valve of your hot water heater. Because the drain valve can sometimes start leaking water when it becomes loose or faulty.
The water leak and the gas leak often happens at the same time. So if you have a water leak from the drain plug, then there is a possibility that there is a gas leak too.
Faulty gas line:
Your hot water heater can start leaking gas if the gas line becomes faulty. The gas line can develop cracked or holes on them due to corrosion and rust. If you find the gas line to be faulty upon inspection, then there is definitely a gas leak.
What to do if your water heater smells like gas? How to fix it?
There are some steps and methods you can follow if your water heater smells like gas. Let’s discuss in detail about how you can fix this problem.
Identify the problem:
First of all, you will need to find the source of the smell. Because the gas smell can be due to a leak, burned wires and parts and bacteria. If your water heater smells like gas because of a gas leak, then the next steps have to be applied.
Make room:
You will need to make room around your water heater so that you can work on the gas leak.
Find the pipeline:
You will need to find the pipeline to stop the flow of gas. You will need to turn the pipeline’s handle anti clockwise to stop the gas flow.
Work on the gas line:
This is the most important part of the process. You will have to detach the faulty gas line and replace it with a new one.
Check for smell:
In the final step, you will need to open the windows and doors of your home to let all the remaining gas go. Then you will need to turn on the water heater to detect any more gas smell.
Final Thoughts
The water heater often smells like gas when there is a gas leak in it. The odorless natural gas is filtered with Mercaptan additive which causes like smell. The water heater can sometimes smell like gas because of burned wires and parts too. But the smell of gas should not be taken lightly.