# Unexplained natural gas odor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexplained-natural-gas-odor/619874>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 25, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexplained-natural-gas-odor/619874 "2012-04-25T02:20:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexplained-natural-gas-odor/619874/21 "2012-04-26T01:24:55Z")

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> [@thelabdude](#):
>
> I have spent extensive amounts of time in older NG fields, and they reek. You have admitted I am right. Your flat statement that natural gas is odorless is wrong if natural gas from any source has a odor.
> 
> Note, some spray cans at least at one time were pressurized with natural gas.

As far as a home owner is concerned, natural gas is odorless. You are right that some natural sources may be contaminated naturally. You may know more than I here. I’d be suprised if the gas you smelled in the field wasn’t scrubbed before it went in a utility line.

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexplained-natural-gas-odor/619874/22 "2012-04-26T01:28:20Z")

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> [@andyleonard](#):
>
> Dead rat dead rat dead rat.

[Hmmmm…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkz71zy8T8s&feature=related)

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**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexplained-natural-gas-odor/619874/23 "2012-04-26T15:45:49Z")

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> [@WarmNPrickly](#):
>
> As far as a home owner is concerned, natural gas is odorless. You are right that some natural sources may be contaminated naturally. You may know more than I here. I’d be suprised if the gas you smelled in the field wasn’t scrubbed before it went in a utility line.

As far as most home owners are concerned, the product sold as natural gas has the smell of natural gas. Most of them are unaware the major component of it, methane, isn’t the source of the smell.

I am also familiar with homes feed from gas wells on the property.

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