If you smell gas now
No sparks, no flames
Leave lights, appliances and power points as they are. Don't light a match or a cigarette, and don't use a phone near the smell.
Get everyone out
People and pets outside, well away from the house. Leave doors open behind you if it's quick to do.
Turn off the gas if it's safe
Use the valve at the gas meter, or close the valve on top of an LPG bottle. Skip this step if the smell is strong there.
Call the gas emergency number
It's printed on your gas bill. Ring from outside, away from the smell.
Call 000 if anyone is in danger
Someone feeling faint or unwell, a fire, or anyone who can't get out.
Signs of a gas leak
- A rotten egg smell: a smell is added to gas so you notice it.
- Hissing or whistling near a gas pipe, meter or appliance.
- A gas smell at the cooktop when every knob is off.
- Bubbles rising through a puddle over a buried gas pipe.
- Plants dying for no clear reason along the line of a gas pipe.
- A gas bill well above normal with no change in use.
Headaches near a gas heater
A gas appliance that burns badly can give off carbon monoxide, which you can't smell. If people get headaches, dizziness or nausea when a heater is on, turn it off, get into fresh air and get medical help. Call 000 if someone is very unwell.
After the emergency call
The emergency line deals with the immediate danger. If the leak is in your pipes or an appliance, the gas stays off there until a licensed gas fitter repairs it.
When everyone is safe, tell us the job, and licensed gas fitters who cover your area will see it. Only the one who takes your job gets your contact details. We can't promise when they'll arrive; they'll tell you when they call.
What a gas fitter will do
A gas fitter will pressure-test the gas installation to confirm there's a leak, then track it down with a gas detector and leak spray on each join. They'll repair or replace the faulty fitting, pipe or appliance part, test again, and relight each appliance to check its flame.
If an appliance can't be made safe, a gas fitter may disconnect it and tell you not to use it until it's fixed or replaced.
What changes the job
A loose join on a cooktop hose is a short job. A leak in a buried pipe or under a floor means finding and digging, or running a new line. The age of the pipework, whether an appliance needs parts or replacing, natural gas or LPG, and access all change the work.
What you can and can't do
You can
- The safety steps above, every time.
- If the smell is faint and near the cooktop, check a knob hasn't been left on, turn it off and air the room.
- Shut the gas at the meter, or the valve on an LPG bottle, if it's safe.
- Tell the gas fitter where the smell was strongest and when you first noticed it.
Leave to a licensed plumber
- Finding the leak, and repairing any pipe, fitting or regulator.
- Testing the whole installation once it's fixed.
- Repairing or disconnecting an unsafe appliance.
- Turning the gas back on and relighting appliances after a leak.
Check the licence
Gas leak repairs need a licensed gas fitter. In NSW, ads for gas fitting must carry a licence number, and the licence has to be current for that kind of work, so look for the number and check it. In Western Australia, the state's online licence search lets you look up a gas fitter. For other states, see checking a licence.
Questions to ask after a leak
- Where exactly was the leak, and what caused it?
- Did you test the whole installation, not just that join?
- Is each appliance safe to use again?
- Is this appliance worth repairing, or is it time to replace it?
- What paperwork will I get for the repair?
What we would do
Never wait to see whether a gas smell fades. Get out, make the call and let the emergency line judge how serious it is. After that, choose a licensed gas fitter who does leak work and ask them to test the whole installation, because a gas line that leaked at one join is worth checking at the others.