Dish Soap Leak-Detecting Solution
First of all try to note if the smell of the gas becomes stronger as you approach the furnace. If it is, then there is surely a leak. Now try to hear a hissing sound and determine from where it is coming out. Well, if that is not easy and then you can mix about a tablespoon of dish soap in a cup of water, spray it on the pipes. Now look for bubbles that are created as the gas comes into contact with the soap. This is the simplest method of detecting leakages in gas furnaces.
Looking in probable places
The leaks in gas furnaces are generally found around the fittings as well as on straight lengths of pipe to develop pinholes. Therefore you should spray the soap solution on all the accessible pipes near the furnace, fittings around the gas valve, the pilot tube and the burner assembly. You can rest assured that soap solution will not affect the functioning of a gas furnace.
Lookout for Carbon Monoxide
Sometimes the exhaust gases from the furnace do not go out of the flue. They come back and reach your living space. One of these is CO (carbon monoxide). The exposure to CO can have lethal consequences. It is absolutely colorless and odorless. You will not know when it sneaks into your house. Therefore install at least one carbon monoxide detector in your house to alert you if there’s a problem with a carbon dioxide leak. Maintain it properly and change batteries when they run out. Other symptoms of CO leakage are breathing troubles, nausea, and headache, among member of the family for no apparent reasons.