A few days ago, our neighbor was working in her garden and thought she smelled gas coming from our property. We're on a standard suburban lot, so homes are fairly close to each other.

We called our gas utility to come out and check and they checked everything and couldn't find a single concern. We ran the gas dryer and ran hot water in the kitchen to try to entice the water heater to turn on. Nothing.

Yesterday was one of the cooler days here in MN so we had our deck door open and when the water heater turned on, I could smell gas where it vents near our deck. I went downstairs into the basement and there was absolutely no odor of any kind.

In all honesty, it could be that I'm more aware of this now that a neighbor brought it up, but is any level of odor normal at the vent? This home we're in now is an inherited home after the passing of my dad. It was more or less vacant for two years before we moved in for the summer so I'm not as familiar with this house as our own, regular house we normally live in.

Just wondering what your thoughts are on this and what I should bring up to someone checking it out to make sure our bases are covered next time. I was less than confident in the guy who came out here checking for leaks last time. I'd rather know what to ask or suggest for next time, which could be today or tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.

You need to check for a gas leak with leak solution at all fittings and flex connector fittings. You can use a solution of liquid dish soap and water 1 to 4 for this. Look for tiny bubbles.

water heater vents near deck??
so the heater doesn't vent into a chimney but the exhaust is forced out the side wall of the house by a fan?
i would have someone qualified to do so run a combustion test at the water heater.
[www.google.com]

Yeah, it's a strange setup. Our first day out here I was on the deck cleaning the sliding door and it sounded like a jet engine was taking off underneath me. The vent is right under the deck. Our house where we normally live has everything venting up through the roof, including the dryer vent. Everything is coming out the sides here from the basement.

This vent under the deck is actually not on the side of the house where the neighbor thought she smelled gas either. So it was either a decent stench or the wind caught it right that day.

Scary thing is there's a grill up here on the deck and part of me was glad it was out of commission because an open flame on a grill plus this exhaust could have been interesting.

I have a gas sniffer gadget coming tomorrow and I'll see if I can get any readings. I'm sitting near the door now and I don't notice anything right now but it's also not actively venting but I'll be ready tomorrow hopefully. I'm just wondering if this should be a "no smell at all" situation normally or if a little exhausted gas smell is normal within certain parameters?

you should NOT smell gas

the burner may need adjustment

Packy was suggesting an actual analysis of the 'burn' not merely a gas sniffing

the tool(s) necessary are FAR more expensive than your 'sniffer'


the vent should NOT be located under a deck nor near a source of combustion

the grill should NOT be on or within 10' of a flammable surface


listen to your excellent common sense - you sense something wrong, else why ask, potential ..... BOOM

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638



Edited 1 times.

You might not be smelling "natural gas", but instead be smelling combusted natural gas. Flue gas definitely has an odor to it. Maybe your water heater has a combustion issue, causing more odor.

if installed properly AND operating properly you should NOT be smelling anything

if you can smell ANYTHING you are ALSO being exposed to carbon monoxide

the key word being PROPERLY

HOWEVER

as the box store hypes:

'never, ever, stop improving'

(as in building a deck over the fuel fired appliances' vents)

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638