Tracy, MN – The most obvious sign pointing to a gas leak is a rotten egg odor, but a Fox 9 investigation reveals you can’t always trust that smell to signal danger.
Family didn’t detect it
Sonja Timmons and her three daughters spent two years recovering from painful burns they experienced after a natural gas explosion in 2012 at their home in Tracy, Minn. Timmons says she never smelled the natural gas that had seeped into the house through an uncapped line while the family was sleeping overnight. After she woke up, she lit a cigarette and an explosion occurred.
Odorless threat
Natural gas is odorless — it only stinks because there has been a chemical added to it.
Timmons is suing Minnesota Energy Resources Corp. claiming a list of wrongs caused the explosion; among them, that the company failed to properly odorize the natural gas. Minnesota Energy declined to discuss the case because it’s in litigation.
“I think gas companies should warn their customers that you may not smell gas, there are things that can happen that you may not smell gas,” said the family’s attorney, Mike Shinkle.
Shinkle points to this warning issued by a company that makes the chemical odorant:
-Extreme cold weather can limit the chemical’s effectiveness
-A head cold or allergies may block the smell
-Prolonged exposure can desensitize your noses ability to detect the odor
-Someone who’s sleeping may not notice it
6 detector essentials
-Shinkle says gas companies should be alerting customers to the importance of buying gas alarms for their homes
-If working properly, the detectors will beep when they sense an odor of natural or propane gas. According to fire officials, the detectors are so sensitive, they may detect a gas leak before a person can smell it
-You can buy the detectors at retail stores and online, and they generally cost $40 to $60
-They are most commonly sold as a carbon monoxide and gas detector combination
-They should be plugged in within 10 feet of a gas appliance
-Like any device, they can fail. Safety experts say if you smell gas but the alarm isn’t sounding, you should still leave the building and call for help