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5 min readIf you have an older home or gas appliances, it’s only natural to be worried about leaks. But unless you’re part bloodhound, most natural gas leaks are notoriously difficult for the average homeowner to detect and pinpoint.
Fortunately, there are a variety of gas leak detectors that are both affordable and simple enough for anyone to use. Our favourite is the Intendvision Combustible Gas Leak Detector.
Detector | Price | Minimum PPM sensitivity | Probe length | Learn more | |
| Best overall | $99.99 | 50 | 43 cm | View on Amazon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for measuring gas levels | $89.99 | 35 | 28 cm | View on Amazon | |
| Budget pick | $39.99 | 50 | N/A | View on Amazon | |
| Most durable | $306.54 | 40 | 40 cm | View on Amazon | |
| Easiest to use | $74.47 | 50 | 30 cm | View on Amazon |
Prices are accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
The Intendvision Combustible Gas Leak Detector gets gold stars for all the good reasons. It's accurate and easy to use, compact, lightweight, and can be used in both home and industrial settings.
This detector doesn’t have an auto-calibration feature, but calibration is easy, and doing it yourself ensures you’ll get precise readings every time. The LCD screen is easy to use and displays feedback from the gas leak test via audio and the screen’s bar graph. The long goose-neck nozzle is also long and thin enough to get stuck into hard-to-reach places.
The Intendvision Combustible Gas Leak Detector senses the following gases: acetone, acetylene, alcohol, ammonia, benzene, butane, ethylene oxide, gasoline, hexane, hydrogen, methane, naphtha, natural gas, paint thinners, propane, and solvents.
43 cm gooseneck
Highly accurate readings
Adjustable sensitivity
Response time of under 2 seconds
3 year warranty
No auto calibrationA lot of consumer gas leak detectors increase the speed of audible warnings when gas is present, but the Intendvision Portable Gas Leak Detector can detect changes in concentration down to 0.01 PPM (parts per million), to let you know approximately how much gas is in the air at any point in time. The 28cm long gooseneck also makes it easier to hone in on leaks in hard-to-reach places.
The Intendvision will also do some of the work for you: it automatically calibrates at startup (which takes about 30 seconds), and turns itself off after 10 minutes to conserve battery life. These are useful features unless you’re planning to use your meter for longer than 10 minutes—then it can get frustrating to turn it back on and wait while it calibrates.
Automatic calibration
28cm gooseneck
Gas level LCD display
Automatic shutoff
Has to be restarted after 10 minAt about a quarter of the price of the other top detectors on our list, you might be wondering if we’ve been sniffing a little too much gas. Despite its low price, this gas detector is a top contender.
The Intendvision HT61 Portable Gas Detector is highly sensitive and can sniff out leaks with the best detectors on the market. The adjustable sensitivity feature makes it easier to pinpoint a leak, because you can start off at a high sensitivity level and then gradually work your way down until you identify the leak’s location. As the concentration goes up, the inbuilt alarm will begin to beep faster until you find the source of the leak. The only problem is it doesn't have a gooseneck probe, so you're somewhat limited when it comes to reaching tricky places.
The Intendvision HT61 Portable Gas Detector senses methane, propane, ethane, toluene, carbon monoxide, natural gas, butane and more.
Low price
High sensitivity
Sensitivity adjuster
Low battery indicator
Audio and visual alarms
Slight lag
No gooseneck probe The Ridgid Gas Detector has a durable design and lifetime warranty. You can choose between visual, audible, or vibrating alerts, and the sensitivity is adjustable. The Ridgid automatically calibrates when you turn it on, but it takes a full 90 seconds before it’s ready to go. It also has a slight lag in its gas detection that can make it difficult to pinpoint a leak, and it takes a while to get back to neutral after detecting a leak. On the plus side, it’s a little quieter than most gas leak detectors—it will beep and light up, but you won’t be startled out of your socks by this one.
The Ridgid Combustible Gas Detector senses ammonia, acetaldehyde, benzene, ethane, ethanol, ethylene, hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide, hexane, isobutane, methane, p-Xylene, propane, and toluene.
Audio, visual, or vibrating alerts
Quiet
Lifetime warranty
Slight lag
Takes 90 seconds to warm up The bright yellow Techamor Yeezou is the easiest to use on our list. This device uses six LEDs and an 85-decibel alert to let you know if there are high concentrations of potentially harmful gases in your environment. It has a 30 cm probe, 10-hour battery life, and a low battery indicator. It takes only about 10 seconds to warm up, and it can register a leak in under two seconds. It comes with a protective carrying case, and you can adjust the sensitivity to better pinpoint the location of dangerous leaks.
The Techamor Yeezou detects alcohol, ethanol, gasoline, methane, natural gas, and propane.
Warms up quickly
No lag
Adjustable sensitivity
Very loud
Short probe For both carbon monoxide and combustible gas leaks, gather your family members and pets and get outside in a safe location with fresh air. Use a phone outside of the home to call your local fire station. They will come to your home in protective gear and check out the leak. They can help you find professionals to remedy the problem, and they can let you know when it’s safe to enter your home again.
The soap bubble technique is when you use a solution of soap and water (kids’ bubble solution works great) and spray it onto potential gas leak locations, like joints and valves. Any leaking air will cause the solution to bubble up, making it easy to see where gas is escaping.
If you try to use this method on its own, you might find yourself spraying soap all over the place without much luck, so it’s a smart idea to use this technique along with a gas leak detector. Once the detector has helped you narrow down your search area, a quick bubble test will let you pinpoint exactly where the problem is coming from.
The only time soap bubbles don’t work well is if the leak is in a hard-to-reach location. In that case, a gas leak detector with a long, flexible probe is your best bet.
Gas detectors might seem like intimidating gadgets, but they’re really just a grownup game of hot and cold. Just turn it on outside or in another neutral location away from anything that might set it off. It should start ticking, beeping, or flashing rhythmically. As you get closer to a leak, the ticking, beeping, or flashing lights will get faster. As you get farther away, they slow down again. They might be alerting you to lethal hazards, but they’re also kind of fun.
Natural gas is a type of fuel burned to heat furnaces, stoves, and water heaters. It’s highly combustible and can be dangerous if it builds up. But it has a special additive in it to give it a distinct odour like rotten eggs, so it’s easier to detect a leak.
Carbon monoxide, on the other hand, is typically odourless, and is a byproduct of burning fuel, like gasoline in cars, or natural gas in household furnaces. Without good ventilation it can build up and be poisonous to humans and animals.
No. Most handheld gas leak detectors are primarily designed to detect combustible gases, like natural gas. Be sure to check the specifications on your gas leak detector to make sure you’ll be alerted to the gas leaks you’re looking for.
