8Mbar drop in gas pipe. Is this bad?

[GasHelp]

Went in to kitchen earlier and got a strong whiff of gas. Shut it off, called emergency number and the engineer has been and said we had a "significant" leak, he's shut off the gas and I'll be getting someone out tomorrow. He's not sure where exactly the leak is but said it's in the pipes.

Does anyone know what 8Mbar means? Any idea of what could cause a leak like that? Feel silly but sitting here a bit shaky.

Not sure in the context of gas mains but for gases in general:

1 bar = atmospheric pressure, the pressure of the air around you.
1 mbar (small m) is one thousandth of that....not a lot.
1 Mbar (big M) would be a pressure of million atmospheres...I can't think you'd be seeing that in a domestic gas system..

Wonder if the engineer has measured a pressure drop/difference in the system somewhere of 8mbar (small "m") due to the leak? I'm not an engineer so wouldn't want to hazard a guess why.

Hope you get through the night OK and get a quick fix..

Good Luck.

Thanks for that! You're right, it's a small "m" on the paperwork.

Managed about 3 hours sleep. Can't help but feel quite cross with DH who admits to smelling it earlier in the evening but thought it must be coming from outside.... I'm usually in bed before 10, I stayed up last night to watch the final of I'm a celeb. I just keep thinking about what could have happened if I didn't go in the kitchen when I did.

It is a big leak anything over 2m would have to be shut off until it is fixed. It could be a tiny pin prick in a pipe of a joint that needs tightening. Back in the day when I was working on gas, it would usually be the fire that developed the leak.

I read this post earlier and now a house explosion has happened after a gas leak... I seriously hope you are all okay and you get your leak sorted ASAP

Sorry @hoplittlebunnyhop I haven't managed to get back on here. Thank you for the concern, I saw the news about that explosion. Didn't help my anxiety! Leak will be sorted by the end of next week but gas is completely shut off and all safe for us.

He's not sure where exactly the leak is but said it's in the pipes

I think he could be on to something

@Manolinette In my defence I knew what I meant, I just didn't convey it properly. It was in the pipes leading from the meter, not the meter itself of the supply coming in to the house. Turns out it's in a pipe behind a wall so that's fun

Our pipe is about a mile long. It's going to be a bugger when that corrodes.