{"id":132,"date":"2026-05-04T12:30:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/?p=132"},"modified":"2026-05-04T12:30:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:30:41","slug":"the-dangerous-thing-in-your-kitchen-you-forgot-to-replace-gas-hose-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/?p=132","title":{"rendered":"The dangerous thing in your kitchen you forgot to replace (gas hose edition)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">You check your smoke alarm. You have a fire extinguisher. But when did you last look at the rubber hose connecting your gas stove or oven to the wall? Most Australians never do. And that\u2019s a problem. Gas hoses degrade over time. Cracks develop. Leaks happen. And a gas leak is not just a smell \u2014 it\u2019s an explosion risk and a carbon monoxide hazard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><strong>The five\u2011year rule<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Gas hose manufacturers and Energy Safe Victoria recommend replacing rubber gas hoses <strong>every five years<\/strong>. Not \u201cwhen they look worn\u201d. Even if the hose looks fine externally, the inner rubber dries out and cracks. After five years, the risk of a leak increases eightfold. Yet a survey by Choice Australia found that 67% of households had gas hoses older than 10 years. Some were 20+ years old.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><strong>How to check your hose<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Go to your kitchen. Follow the metal pipe from the wall to your stove. You\u2019ll see a rubber or braided hose, typically 1\u20132 metres long. Look for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Cracks or perishing (dry, flaky rubber).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Bulges or soft spots.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Discoloration near the ends.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Any smell of gas (rotten eggs) when the stove is off.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">If you see any of these, turn off the gas at the wall immediately and call a licensed gas fitter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><strong>Replacement is cheap<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">A new gas hose costs <span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-mathml\">20\u201340 at Bunning so rany hardware store. Installation by alicensed gas fitter costs <\/span><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">20\u201340 <\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">a<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">t B<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">u<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">nnin<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">g <\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">sor<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">an<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">y <\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">ha<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">r<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">d<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">w<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">a<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">re s<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">t<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">ore<\/span><span class=\"mord\">. <\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">I<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">n<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">s<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">t<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">a<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">ll<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">a<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">t<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">i<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">o<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">n b<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">y<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">a<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">l<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">i<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">ce<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">n<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">se<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">d <\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">g<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">a<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">s <\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">f<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">i<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">tt<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">er cos<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">t<\/span><span class=\"mord mathnormal\">s <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>80\u2013150. That\u2019s less than $200 every five years. Compare that to a house fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. It\u2019s a no\u2011brainer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><strong>But I have a braided stainless steel hose<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Those are better, but still not permanent. Stainless steel braided hoses last 10\u201315 years. The rubber inside still perishes. Check the manufacturing date printed on the tag. If it\u2019s older than 10 years, replace it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><strong>Signs of a slow gas leak<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">A faint gas smell only sometimes (leak may be intermittent).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Unexplained headaches, dizziness, or nausea when cooking (mild carbon monoxide exposure).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Higher gas bills without increased usage.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">If you suspect a leak, open windows, turn off the gas at the mains (outside the house), and call your gas company emergency line. Do not use electrical switches or light matches until cleared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Reader story: \u201cI replaced my hose after reading about a house explosion in the news. The plumber showed me my old hose \u2014 it cracked in half when he bent it. It was 18 years old. I had no idea how close I was to disaster.\u201d \u2013 Peter, 61, Melbourne.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><strong>Mark your calendar<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\">Write on your phone calendar: \u201cReplace gas hose \u2013 every 5 years\u201d. Next time you do it, add another reminder. This five\u2011minute check could save your home and your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You check your smoke alarm. You have a fire extinguisher. But when did you last look at the rubber hose connecting your gas stove or oven to the wall? Most&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-everyday-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions\/134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pristine-drift.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}