what are the symptoms if any of prolonged gas exposure.

[what..the?]

We have had the smell of gas in our property for a while now we only get the problem in winter when we use the heating from the gas boiler, as during the summer our water is heated by an electric heater so the boiler is not used. Last christmas when we moved in to this rental property, the smell was present and prolonged so I called the emergancy gas people in the yellow pages to come and test for a leak. They didn't find one, but the smell continued throughout the winter, now a year later we have had the smell come back again, so we ignored it till it was worrying going to sleep at night with this smell present in our bedroom, the main concentration of the smell/leak is directly ourside our bedroom.

So we called the gas people again last night, after we continued to feel ill with headache, dizzyness, and general sickness. The house was tested and a leak was found, which was narrowed down to a leak in the internal pipework, as apposed to a gas applicance. As a result our gas supply was cut off by the gas company for saftey reasons. And we know longer have any heating etc.

But my question is that we have been having so many head aches, breathing problems and feeling ill alot lately, would sleeping next to even a small leak make you ill. We have a carbon monoxide detector which hasn't picked anything up. So I dont think CO poisoning is evolved. But when I search online I cannot find anything about the symptoms of prolonged gas exposure.

[terence7556]

hello you may not like it but the gas company were correct to save you and anyone affected by the potential leak in your carcase pipework, the problem now is finding the leaking joint.
however the question you ask about CO is that prolonged exposure is from my viper handbook page c4
CO can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches,watering eyes, palpitations, sickness .diarrhoea, and can be fatal with relatively low exposure /concentrations
CO is like warm air when released into a room and so positioning of detectors is paramount
this book also has a chart on the "CO effects on human haemoglobin "page c5
try the net with those words or pop into waterstones and read a copy of The domestic natural gas handbook(including appliances) isbn 1 900013 22 3
good luck and get proffessional help for the leak please

[Efkay]

I have always understood that the production of carbon monoxide (CO) is as a consequence of incomplete combustion whether of gas, paraffin, wood, coal etc, hence the need to get appliances regularly checked. If your leak of gas is occurring prior to reaching your boiler, then CO is not being produced.

However, natural gas is a simple asphyxiant and can kill if it displaces air to the point where the oxygen content will not support life.

Also when natural gas is confined, such as within a house, gas concentrations can reach explosive mixtures at levels as low as 5%.

Bottom line - get it fixed!!

[Efkay]

Apologies - should have said get your LANDLORD to fix the problem - pronto! He has a LEGAL obligation to ensure you have safe tenancy. Give him/and or agent 7 days to fix problem - or you'll sue!

Bon chance!

[what..the?]

Thanks eflay, a british gas guy has come round since and said that the level of the leak is low and therefore can saftely be left, but that if we smell gas again, to call them again. As of yet there has been no smell at all. I said to the british gas guy, that would all the recent tampering with the system potentually have fixed the problem, he said very unlikely a leak is a leak, it can not fix itself. But for some strange reason we cannot smell it at all since. The british gas guy that was sent round was very friendly and it turned out that the landlord did not have the full insurance cover so the guy was not allowed to fix any leak within the contract but could just look at the boiler ect. He did lift the carpet near the leak he said, so for all we know he might of fiddled with something on the quiet to help us out and not said for 'contract' reasons.