DIYbanter - View Single Post - gas smell from a plastic vent connected to the gas meter

wrote:
On Thu, 1 Dec 2005 15:57:24 -0500, "EXT" etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM
wrote:

That would be "parts per million", I think it should be well within safety
measures. Sometimes the mercapan odor they add to the gas can permeate
everything that contacts the gas and creates the smell that the nose can
recognize. I would keep check on it, as the reading did fluctuate and if
something is leaking as the load changes, it may leak more at a later time.

Just curious, what is mercapan?
Yes, I know it's the odorant in the gas, but what I am asking, WHAT
IS THIS SUBSTANCE?

You could Google it or simply use a dictionary if
it were spelled correctly "mercaptan." Mercaptan
is the general name for organic substances with a
sulfur atom attached. Probably use ethyl
mercaptan in natural gas.