Plumbing guide ยท Lake Elsinore, CA
Signs of a Gas Leak in Your House and What to Do
If you smell gas, leave the house first and call from outside. This guide covers the signs of a gas leak in your house, the habits that keep you safe, and what happens after.
Emergency? Call now, 24/7(951) 451-5200- Leave right awayEveryone, pets included.
- Call from outsideGas utility or 911.
- Then call a plumberFor the repair, once it is safe.
The short answer: leave, then call
- A rotten-egg smell means leaveNatural gas has an added odor so leaks are noticed.
- Do not use switches, flames or phones insideAny spark can ignite gas.
- Call the gas utility or 911 from outsideDo not try to find or fix the leak yourself.
- Stay out until it is clearedReturn only when the utility or fire department says so.
- Repairs are for a plumberGas work needs the right materials and a pressure test.
What to do right now
Short, in order, and no shortcuts.
Smell gas right now? Leave first.
Get everyone, pets included, out of the building. Call your gas utility or 911 from outside, from a neighbor’s house, or from a spot well away from the building. Do not stop to look for the source, open windows, or collect belongings. Once the gas utility has made the house safe, call a plumber for the repair.
Stop what you are doing
Do not search for the source. Do not light a candle, stove or match.
Do not use switches or plugs
Do not turn lights or appliances on or off, and do not unplug anything. A spark is all it takes.
Get everyone out
Include pets. Leave doors as they are. Do not take time to open windows.
Move away from the building
Get well clear before you use a phone, in a neighbor’s yard or down the street.
Call the gas utility or 911
From outside. Say you smell gas, give the address, and follow their instructions.
Stay out until cleared
Do not return until the gas utility or fire department says it is safe.
Signs of a gas leak in your house
Smell comes first, but it is not the only sign.
The signs you can smell, hear and see
Natural gas has no smell of its own. Utilities add a harmless chemical that smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, specifically so that a leak is noticed. That smell is the first and most important sign. If you notice it, do not talk yourself out of it because it is faint or comes and goes.
Other signs of a gas leak in your house show up in the rooms and the yard. A hissing or whistling near a pipe or appliance suggests gas escaping under pressure. Outdoors, dead patches in the lawn, bubbles in standing water, or a dirt cloud blown from the ground can point to a leaking underground line. None of these is a test for you to run. They are reasons to leave and call.
| Sign | What it can mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rotten-egg or sulfur smell | Gas is escaping inside or outside | Leave, then call from outside |
| Hissing, whistling or roaring near a pipe or meter | Gas under pressure is leaking | Leave, then call from outside |
| Dead grass or plants in a strip or patch | Possible leak from a buried line | Keep clear, call the gas utility |
| Bubbles in a puddle or wet ground | Gas rising through water | Keep clear, call the gas utility |
| Dirt blowing from the ground | A line may be damaged | Leave the area, call 911 |
| Pilot light flame that is yellow or orange | Poor combustion, not necessarily a leak | Have the appliance checked |
Symptoms in people and pets
Some signs of a gas leak in your house show up in people before anyone notices a smell, particularly in a closed room. Headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and trouble breathing are the usual complaints. Pets and houseplants may react first. If several people in the home feel sick at once and the symptoms ease when they go outside, take that seriously and leave.
Carbon monoxide is a separate hazard and it has no smell. It comes from fuel-burning appliances that do not burn properly or are poorly vented, not necessarily from a leak. Working carbon monoxide alarms on each level are the standard protection. If one sounds, go outside and call 911.
- Headache or dizzinessThat eases outdoors and returns indoors.
- Nausea or fatigueAcross several people at the same time.
- Trouble breathingLeave immediately and call 911.
- Pets behaving oddlyRestless, lethargic, or unwilling to enter a room.
- Carbon monoxide alarmGo outside first, then call 911.
Do not do these things
Small actions can have big consequences in a gas-filled room.
Things that seem harmless but are not
The point of the list on this page is to turn quick decisions into habits. Gas ignites from very small sparks. Anything that can produce a spark or a flame near a leak is dangerous, which includes things you would never think twice about.
The other mistake is waiting. A leak that smells faint can grow, and a smell that seems to fade may only mean your nose has adjusted. A short delay is the thing to avoid.
| Do not | Why |
|---|---|
| Flip a light switch | Switches can spark |
| Use a lighter, match or candle | An open flame can ignite the gas |
| Start a car in an attached garage | Ignition and a closed space |
| Run a fan or open the garage door with an opener | Motors and relays can spark |
| Use the phone while inside | Treat the building as unsafe and make the call outside |
| Try to find the leak by smell | You add exposure and delay |
| Go back for a pet or belongings | The air can reach dangerous levels |
| Wait to see if it passes | Leaks do not fix themselves |
Where leaks come from
Knowing the usual suspects helps you take them seriously.
Where gas leaks usually come from
Most household leaks come from a handful of places. Appliance connections wear out. Flexible connectors behind a stove, dryer or water heater can crack or loosen, particularly after an appliance is moved. Fittings along the gas line can loosen over time or after shifting. Valves can weep around the stem, and regulators can fail. Outdoors, the line to the meter can be damaged by digging, which is why a call to the utility before any project that breaks ground is standard practice.
An earthquake can also stress gas connections. California requires water heaters to be braced against earthquake motion under Health and Safety Code section 19211, and a heater that moves can strain its gas connection. If you feel a strong quake and smell gas afterward, leave the same way. For the heater side of this, see water heater repair.
- Appliance connectorsStove, dryer, furnace and water heater.
- Pipe fittingsJoints along the gas line.
- Shutoff valvesAt appliances and at the meter.
- RegulatorsAt the meter or the appliance.
- Buried linesDamaged by digging or by shifting ground.
Gas smell or something else?
Several plumbing problems smell bad, and not all are gas.
Is it a gas smell, or something else?
Not every bad smell is a leak, but you cannot tell by smell alone, and a mistake in one direction is far more costly than in the other. If the smell is like rotten eggs, treat it as gas first. Sewer gas is also unpleasant, and it comes from drains and traps, which is a plumbing problem but a different one. Hot water that smells like sulfur is often caused by the water heater and not the gas supply. If the smell is only in the hot water and nowhere else, see water heater repair.
When in doubt, leave and call. The people who respond would rather check a false alarm than miss a real one.
| Smell | Often points to | Treat as |
|---|---|---|
| Rotten eggs near the stove, heater or meter | Gas | Gas leak: leave |
| Rotten eggs from hot water only | Water heater chemistry | Plumbing issue: call |
| Sewage smell from drains | Dry trap or drain trouble | Plumbing issue: call |
| Smoky or burning smell | Overheating or a fire hazard | Call 911 |
| No smell, but a CO alarm sounds | Carbon monoxide | Leave, call 911 |
How a leak gets repaired
What happens between the call and restored service.
What a plumber does once the house is safe
The gas utility makes the situation safe, which usually means shutting off supply at the meter. Only after that does repair begin. The plumber finds the leak, repairs or replaces the damaged piece, and then tests the gas piping before service is turned back on. Depending on the repair, the utility or a local inspection may be involved in restoring service. Ask the plumber what applies.
This is not a job for a homeowner. Gas work involves correct materials, sealants approved for gas, pressure testing and leak checks with the right instruments, and it carries real risk if done wrong. See gas leak repair and gas line repair for the services.
Utility makes it safe
Supply is shut off and the area is checked.
Plumber locates the leak
With proper detection equipment.
Repair or replace
A fitting, connector, valve or length of pipe.
Pressure test
To confirm the repair holds.
Service restored
By the utility, once everything checks out.
Lowering the risk
None of this replaces leaving when you smell gas. It helps you notice sooner.
Know where the gas shutoff is
Find the meter and the appliance shutoffs. Do not operate the meter valve unless the gas utility has told you how.
Install carbon monoxide alarms
On each level and near sleeping areas, and test them on the schedule the maker recommends.
Have appliances checked
Water heaters, furnaces and stoves are worth checking after they are moved or when a flame looks wrong.
Call before you dig
The utility locates buried lines for free in many places. Ask before any project that breaks ground.
Replace old connectors
Flexible connectors age. A plumber can replace them during any appliance work.
Talk to your household
Make sure everyone knows the plan: leave, then call from outside.
When to call a plumber about gas
The gas utility handles emergencies. A plumber handles the repair. Call after the house is safe.
The utility has shut off your gas
A plumber can find the leak and repair the piping.
An appliance connector is worn
Replace it before it becomes a leak.
A pilot keeps going out
A recurring fault needs a proper diagnosis.
You are adding or moving an appliance
Gas lines need correct sizing, fittings and testing.
Plumbing help for gas problems
Gas leak repair
Find and repair a leak once the house is safe.
Gas leak repair details →Gas line repair
Fix or replace damaged gas piping.
Gas line repair details →Water heater repair
Gas heater faults, pilots and venting.
Water heater repair details →Emergency plumber
Open 24/7 for urgent plumbing.
Emergency plumber details →Signs of a gas leak in your house: questions answered
What are the first signs of a gas leak in your house?
What should I do if I smell gas in my house?
Should I open windows before I leave?
Can I turn off the gas myself?
Can a gas leak make you sick?
Who do I call first, a plumber or the gas company?
How much does gas leak repair cost?
Why does my hot water smell like sulfur?
Can I use my gas appliances after a smell goes away?
What should I do after an earthquake?
More guides that may help
House is safe and the gas is off? Call for the repair
Spotted signs of a gas leak in your house? Leave and call from outside first. Open 24/7. Same-day service is available for the repair once it is safe.