The Handyman's Pocket Book: Gas.

Except for the elementary business of keeping apparatus clean there is not a lot the home mechanic can do in the way of maintenance and repairs.  At the same time it is as well to know what to do in the event of a leak occurring.  It the leak becomes apparent at night time turn off the gas and extinguish any other naked lights.  The main tap should then be turned off at the meter, and doors and windows opened to clear the air.

DETECTING A BURST.  Smell is the first means of locating a leak, but it is not positive.  Escaping gas may travel through the flooring and so give a false idea of location, but it is generally a reasonable indication.  At night time use an electric torch to examine the piping, never a candle or other naked flame, sometimes a hissing sound will be a guide to the leak and if you have a good idea as to where it is you can dip a piece of soap in water and run this along the pipe (before the gas is turned off, of course).  Bubbles will show whether gas is in fact escaping.  If the leak is quite small you can then turn off the gas and put a generous layer of wet soap over it and bind it tightly with insulation tape.  The latter should overlap, and several layers bound round.  This should enable you to turn on the gas again so that the house is not entirely deprived of light.  It is, however, a temporary repair only, and should be mended by the gas company or a competent plumber as soon as possible.  A large burst cannot be dealt with in this way, and the gas should at once be turned off.

If a gas pendant should break (this sometimes used to happen in the case of heavy pendants) the gas should be turned off and the hole plugged.  The end and sides of a cork (preferably rubber) should be coated with thick paint and this well rammed home.  It is, of course, temporary only, but it should enable the gas to be turned on so that the whole building is not deprived of light.

GAS STOVE.  One of the chief troubles here is caused by dirt in the burners.  Milk or other foodstuffs spilt on them may cause blocking.  If the bars at the top are lifted the entire burner can be taken out.  A wire or pricker can be used to clear much or the dirt, and a stiff brush can also be used.  Grease can be removed by washing with hot soda water.  If any water should get into the casting allow to drain out, and then warm to dry out.

In a gas fire dirt sometimes accumulates over the burner heads, especially after a period of disuse.  The asbestos units should be carefully lifted out (they are quite fragile) and the heads brushed.  Blow-back sometimes occurs, and is generally due to incorrect air-gas adjustment.  If the lower part of the stove is removed the control tap will be uncovered.  If the fire is of the type which allows two positions, half- and fully-on, there will be two tubes, one adjacent to the other, each having two screws in it.  One controls gas and the other the air.  Blow-back is generally caused by too little gas or too much air, and adjustment should be made so that the entire asbestos unit glows when the gas is turned fully on without flaming at the top.  At the base there should be a clear inner cone of blue-green colour.