How to Act When You Find Gas Leaking in the Kitchen (USA)

Last Updated: February 19, 2022

Smell gas in the kitchen? Here is how to respond in the first critical minutes. The information presented in this article refers to US gas supplies and appliances only.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Quick assessment

1
Determine the danger. The safety of people is always the first thing to consider, so heed the following first of all:
- If it is difficult to breathe or the smell is very strong or you can hear a loud sound of escaping gas leave the kitchen immediately and get any other people out of the building.
- Do not turn on light switches in or around the kitchen. Do not turn any electrical switches on or off, including doorbells.
- Do not use matches or any other naked flames.
- Do not use the bathroom as this triggers more gas.
- Do not smoke.
- Understand the signs of gas leaks, including:^{[1]
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  - Strong "Rotten egg" smell
  - Hissing or whistling noise
  - Spraying dirt, dead or dying vegetation
2
Call the emergency services. Use a neighbor's telephone for emergency help. Do not call from within your house and never use a cell phone or portable phone within the house if you suspect a gas leak. If you need to use a cell phone, go to the neighbor's house to use it.

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3
Open doors and windows. Do this only if you can breathe easily and the smell of gas is not overpowering and you cannot hear a loud sound of escaping gas.
4
If you know how, turn the gas supply off at the meter or mains box.
- Do not turn the gas supply back on until the gas company instructs you to do so.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Checking the possible sources

If you can breathe easily and the smell of gas is not overpowering and you cannot hear a loud sound of escaping gas, perform the following checks, as relevant.

1
Check the stove burners. If you can breathe easily and the smell of gas is not overpowering and you cannot hear a loud sound of escaping gas, check the stove for burners that are on but not burning. The knobs should all be in the same position (off). Turn all knobs to off.
2
Check the oven. Look for an oven control knob. It should be in the off position. Turn the control knob to off. On a modern oven the control may be electronic. Pressing the off or cancel button will turn off the gas.
3
Check the clothes dryer. Some clothes dryers are gas operated. If this is the case, turn the dryer control knob to off or press the off button. If it is not clear that the dryer is operated by gas, do not operate the controls.
4
Check to see whether the pilot light on your boiler has gone out. This can be a common cause of a gas odor.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting the gas leak fixed

1
Contact the gas company. Most all propane and natural gas supply companies will come to a residence and test for gas leaks. They will not perform the repair but they will identify the source of the gas leak.
2
Get the leak repaired. Gas leaks, even very small gas leaks, will not fix themselves. Always contact the gas company for help in locating the leak and use an experienced repair person to repair the leak.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I tell through smell alone?

Community Answer

You can tell through smell because propane or butane has been made to have odor so that you can detect quickly their smell. And this is done for these gasses alone because they are very volatile.
Question

Whom do I contact if I think my family is being poisoned by carbon monoxide exposure? How do I protect myself from retaliation from my landlord?

Nickelia Yeboah

Community Answer

You should ether contact the gas company or poison control.
Question

Is it advisable to find a gas leak and fix it myself?

Community Answer

If you are a certified professional, then yes. If you are not a certified professional, then absolutely not. Go outside the building, and call the gas company immediately. Never call from inside the building, as this could cause an explosion.

Warnings

Get people out of danger. Natural gas and propane are explosive. An accumulation of gas can destroy a building if it finds a source of ignition. Something as simple as turning on a light switch can cause the explosion. If there is any uncertainty about how severe the gas leak is, get all people out of the house. When all the people are accounted for and at a safe place then call for help. The gas company, or 911 emergency services can help. Do not call from anywhere near the kitchen. Preferably call from a neighbor's house.

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If breathing is difficult or the smell is very strong or you hear gas escaping, call 911 from a neighbor's house.

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