Safety guide · Mission Viejo, CA
Signs of a Gas Leak in Your Home
The signs of a gas leak in your home include a rotten-egg smell, a hiss near a pipe or appliance, and dizziness or nausea that eases outdoors. If you notice any of them, leave the house first and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
(657) 681-2100- Leave right awayWalk out with family and pets. Do not stop to look for the source.
- Call from outsideUse your phone away from the house: the gas utility or 911.
- Wait for the all-clearStay out until the utility says it is safe. A plumber repairs the line afterward.
Signs of a gas leak in your home, and the one thing to do
- SmellA sulfur or rotten-egg odor. Utilities add it on purpose because natural gas has no smell of its own.
- SoundA hiss, whistle or faint roar near a gas pipe, meter or appliance.
- SightA dead patch in the lawn above a buried line, bubbles in wet ground, or a dirt cloud with no cause.
- BodyHeadache, dizziness, nausea or fatigue that improves when you step outside.
- ActionLeave first. Do not use switches, phones or flames inside. Call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
Before the signs of a gas leak in your home: what to do the moment you suspect one
This section comes before the list of signs on purpose. Read it, remember it and share it with everyone in the house.
Walk out
Get everyone, including pets, outside. Leave doors open as you go if it takes no extra time.
Touch nothing electric
Do not flip a light switch, plug or unplug anything, or use a garage door opener. A spark can ignite gas.
No flames
No lighters, matches, candles or cigarettes. Do not start the car in an attached garage.
Move away from the house
Go well away from the building, upwind if you can, then use your phone.
Call the gas utility or 911
Say you smell gas, give your address and follow what they tell you.
Stay out
Do not go back in until the utility or the fire department says it is safe.
Why leave before looking for the source?
Finding the leak is a job for tools and training, not for a nose. Indoors, gas can collect in corners, closets and ceiling spaces before you notice it, and the next spark can be a light switch or the starter on an appliance. Leaving costs you a few minutes. Staying to investigate can cost far more. There are no do-it-yourself gas steps on this page for that reason.
What should I say when I call from outside?
Keep it short and factual. Give the street address, say you smell gas or hear a hiss, say whether anyone is still inside or feels unwell, and say where you are standing. Then listen. The dispatcher may ask whether you can see the meter or hear anything, and may tell you to move farther away. Answer what you know and say so when you do not. Do not go back inside to check a detail.
- Your addressStreet, unit number and the nearest cross street.
- What you noticedSmell, sound, sight or symptoms, and where.
- Who is with youCount of people and pets, and anyone still inside.
- Where you are standingSo responders can find you.
What if someone cannot walk out on their own?
Households with young children, older adults or anyone with limited mobility need a plan before it is needed. Agree in advance who helps whom and where everyone meets. If you cannot move someone safely, get out yourself, call 911 at once from outside and say that a person is still inside and where. Do not stay in the house to wait with them. Responders are equipped for that situation and you are not.
- Pick a meeting spotAcross the street or at a neighbor’s, not at the front door.
- Assign a helperOne adult per child or person who needs help.
- Practice onceWalk the route and name the spot aloud.
- Keep shoes and keys near the doorA fast exit should not need a search.
Not sure? Treat it as a leak
A faint smell is still a smell. Utilities want to hear about it, and a false alarm costs nothing but time. If you are unsure, leave and call.
The five kinds of signs of a gas leak in your home
Most people only think of smell. Leaks also show up in sound, sight, how you feel and what is happening outdoors.
| Channel | What you notice | Where you may notice it | What it can mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smell | Sulfur, rotten eggs, a sharp unpleasant odor | Kitchen, near the water heater, near the meter | Gas escaping from a pipe, fitting or appliance |
| Sound | Hissing, whistling or a thin roar | At a pipe joint, regulator or appliance connection | Gas under pressure escaping through a small gap |
| Sight | Dead plants over a line, bubbling in puddles, a pilot flame that is yellow or orange | Yard, garden, around a meter, inside a water heater | A leak underground, or incomplete combustion |
| Body | Headache, dizziness, nausea, tiredness | Anywhere, improves outdoors | Low oxygen or combustion byproducts; leave and call 911 if severe |
| Surroundings | A neighbor reports a smell, utility work is nearby, or the street smells of gas | Front of the house, sidewalk, street | A leak in a service line outside the home |
Why does gas smell like rotten eggs?
Natural gas has no odor of its own, so utilities add a harmless odorant with a strong sulfur smell. That is why people describe it as rotten eggs. The smell is there to warn you, so a smell indoors is never something to explain away. Propane has the same kind of added odorant. If you notice the smell outdoors only briefly, such as near a meter, it may be a minor release, but a call is still the right move.
Where the signs of a gas leak in your home tend to appear
Gas lines feed a short list of appliances. Knowing them helps you tell the story to the person on the phone, once you are outside.
| Place | What runs on gas here | What to tell the utility or plumber |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Range, cooktop, sometimes an oven | Smell near the stove, burners that click without lighting, flames that look yellow |
| Garage or closet | Water heater | Smell near the heater, soot on the vent, pilot that keeps going out |
| Laundry area | Dryer | Smell when the dryer runs, warm or damp air that smells off |
| Living area | Gas fireplace, wall heater or furnace | Smell when the heat comes on, pilot problems, sooty marks |
| Outdoors | Meter, barbecue line, fire pit, pool heater | Hissing at the meter, smell near a connection, dead plants |
| Crawl space or attic | Piping and a furnace in some homes | Smell that drifts down; do not go to look |
What about appliances that look wrong but are not a leak?
A pilot flame that turns yellow or orange rather than blue is a sign of poor combustion, and a plumber should look at the appliance. A burner that clicks but does not light is usually a spark or supply fault. Both can be signs of a larger problem, and neither is a reason to test things yourself. If you also smell gas, leave and call from outside; otherwise call a plumber and do not keep trying to light it. For the water heater in particular, the water heater repair page explains common faults.
- Yellow or orange flameIncomplete combustion. Leave the appliance off and call.
- Soot or scorch marksCombustion gases are spilling out.
- Pilot keeps going outA draft, a failing part or a supply problem.
- Burner clicks without lightingSpark or supply fault. Do not keep trying.
Smells and symptoms that look like signs of a gas leak in your home but are not
Several things mimic a gas smell. When you cannot tell, treat it as gas. When the cause is clear, the table helps.
| It smells like | It may actually be | How it differs | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten eggs from the drain | Sewer gas from a dry trap | Strongest at one drain, may fade after running water | See clogged drain for causes. If you cannot tell, treat it as gas. |
| Rotten eggs in hot water only | Bacteria reaction in the water heater | Only the hot tap, not the air | Water heater service, covered in water heater repair |
| Rotten eggs everywhere | Gas | Smell is in the air, not at a tap | Leave and call |
| Dizziness with a flickering pilot | Carbon monoxide | No smell, alarm may sound | Leave and call 911 if an alarm sounds or anyone feels ill |
| Burnt-dust smell at first heating | Dust on the heater | Fades within a short time | Open a window; call if it persists |
Is carbon monoxide the same as a gas leak?
No, and the difference matters. A gas leak is raw fuel escaping, usually with the added smell. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of burning fuel in a poorly working appliance, and it has no smell at all. A carbon monoxide alarm is the only warning, so keep working ones on each level and near sleeping areas. If an alarm sounds or anyone has headache and nausea that clears outdoors, leave and call 911. Both problems end the same way: out first, then a repair.
After the call: who checks the house and what a plumber does next
Once everyone is safe, the repair starts with a clear sequence.
The utility checks the meter and the house
They may test for gas and tell you when it is safe to go in.
The fire department may respond
If the situation looks serious, they will secure the area first.
A plumber finds the source
Joints, flexible connectors, valves and appliance hookups are inspected and tested.
The repair is made
A fitting, a connector or a section of pipe is replaced. See gas leak repair and gas line repair.
A pressure test confirms it
The line is tested before gas is turned back on to the appliances.
Appliances are relit last
Pilots and burners are brought back with the system proven tight.
What can I do to lower the risk?
Install carbon monoxide alarms and test them as the maker advises. Do not store paint, solvents or cleaners next to a gas appliance. Keep the area around the water heater clear. Replace old flexible connectors and valves when a plumber advises. In an earthquake-prone region, a plumber can also advise on appliance anchoring and an automatic shutoff valve. These are conversations to have on a normal day, not in an emergency.
- AlarmsCarbon monoxide alarms on each level, tested on schedule.
- Clear spaceNothing flammable stored beside gas appliances.
- Old partsAsk a plumber about aging connectors and valves.
- A family planEveryone knows to leave first and where to meet.
- Utility numberSaved in your phone for fast calls from outside.
When to call after the signs of a gas leak in your home
The first call goes to the gas utility or 911, from outside. A plumber comes after, once the house has been cleared.
After the utility says it is safe
Call a plumber to find and fix the cause. A person answers at any hour.
A pilot that keeps going out
Not an emergency by itself, but worth a look soon.
A yellow flame or soot on an appliance
Stop using the appliance and call a plumber to look at it.
Aging connectors or valves
Ask about replacing them before they fail.
Services for gas problems
These pages cover the repair work that follows a safe exit.
Gas leak repair
Finding the source and fixing it once the house is cleared.
Gas leak repair details →Gas line repair
Pipe, fittings and connections for a damaged gas line.
Gas line repair details →Water heater repair
A common gas appliance with a pilot and a burner.
Water heater repair details →24-hour plumber
Plumbing help at any hour, after the utility has cleared the house.
24-hour plumber details →Questions about the signs of a gas leak in your home
What are the signs of a gas leak in your home?
What should I do first if I smell gas?
Should I turn off the gas myself?
Can I use my phone when I smell gas?
Why does natural gas smell like rotten eggs?
Is a gas leak the same as carbon monoxide?
Can I find a gas leak myself?
How much does gas leak repair cost in Mission Viejo?
Is a plumber available after a gas leak at night?
How do I know a gas appliance is leaking?
More safety and plumbing guides
Safe outside? Call for the repair.
After the gas utility or 911 has cleared the house, call for the repair. Open 24/7, same-day service is available, and a person answers.