Gas Line Safety Basics for Property Owners
Most plumbing problems can wait an hour. A gas leak cannot. This is the one article where the instructions matter more than the explanation.
35 years of licensed plumbing experience in the San Antonio area — 33 of them as a licensed Master Plumber and Responsible Master Plumber (RMP).
If You Smell Gas: Leave First, Call Second
Leave the building immediately. Take everyone with you.
From a safe location away from the property, call 911 and your gas utility.
Do not operate light switches. Do not use a phone inside the building. Do not start a vehicle in an attached garage. Do not look for the leak. Do not wait for a plumber before evacuating.
What Gas Can Smell Like
Natural gas is odorless on its own. An odorant is added so it smells like rotten eggs or sulfur. If you notice that smell, treat it as real until proven otherwise.
Other signs: a hissing sound near a gas line or appliance, dead vegetation in a line over a buried gas line, or a persistent pilot light that will not stay lit.
What You Should Never Do Yourself
- Do not repair, modify, or extend a gas line yourself.
- Do not connect an appliance to a gas line unless you are qualified to do so.
- Do not use a lighter or flame to check for a leak. This should not need saying, and yet.
- Do not cap or bypass anything to “get by for now.”
Why Gas Work Is Different
Gas work is code-sensitive and life-safety critical. It can involve permitting, inspection, and utility requirements, and it is performed by properly licensed professionals.
We do not promise or perform gas line work without a proper evaluation, and we do not guarantee inspection approval or utility release — those depend on the authority involved.
See gas line services.
Routine Things Worth Doing
Know where your gas shutoff is. Have gas appliance connections evaluated when you buy a property or when something changes. If an appliance is behaving oddly, get it looked at rather than living with it.
Gas Concern That Is Not an Emergency?
If there is no active gas smell and no immediate danger, call us and we will evaluate it properly. If you do smell gas, leave and call 911 and your gas utility first.