The one home inspection item that consistently causes home buyers to ‘freak out’ more than anything else is a gas leak. Gas explosions like the ones that recently happened in Edina and Saint Paul are probably the main causes of all the paranoia about natural gas.  Believe it or not, small gas leaks are actually quite common at old houses, and they’re usually simple for a plumber to fix.  Today I’ll share the most common locations for gas leaks, and I’ll share my home inspection techniques for finding gas leaks in old Minneapolis and Saint Paul homes.

The most common place for me to find gas leaks is at gas valves.  Older style gas valves that aren’t allowed any more today are often referred to as lube valves or plug valves.

These valves are easily identified by a nut or spring on the valve, across from the handle; newer gas valves don’t have these.  I would estimate that I find leaks at about one out of every five of these valves.  Gate valves, which should only be used for water, are also common offenders.