Safety guide ยท Texas City, TX
Signs of a Gas Leak in Your Home
The main sign of a gas leak in your home is a rotten egg or sulfur smell. If you notice it, leave at once and call 911 or your gas utility from outside, then phone a Texas City, TX plumber for the repair.
(409) 410-0007- Leave firstEveryone walks out. Do not touch switches or phones inside.
- Call from outside911 or the gas utility’s number on your bill.
- Repair comes laterA plumber finds and fixes the fault once it is safe.
Signs of a gas leak in your home, in short
If any of these apply, go outside before you do anything else.
- Rotten egg smellAn additive makes leaks noticeable. Take it seriously.
- A hiss or whistleComing from a pipe, a meter or an appliance.
- Outdoor signsDead grass over the line, bubbles in wet ground, dust blowing.
- Body symptomsHeadache, dizziness, nausea that ease outdoors.
- Do not use anything that sparksNo switches, lighters, appliances or phones inside.
- Leave, call, then repairNo DIY gas steps. The plumber comes after it is safe.
Smell gas? Leave the house, then call
The first minutes matter most.
If you are reading this because you smell gas right now, stop reading and act. The rest of this page can wait until you are standing outside, away from the building.
Do these things, in this order
Leave the house at once and take everyone with you, including pets if you can do it without delay. Do not stop to open windows, gather belongings or look for the source. From a spot well clear of the building, phone 911 or the emergency line of your gas utility, which appears on your gas bill, and wait out there for responders.
The call to a plumber comes later, after the utility or the fire department has made the house safe. A plumber then finds and repairs the fault in the piping. Nothing on this page is a way to hunt for a leak yourself.
Walk out
Everyone leaves immediately. Do not collect things.
Move away from the house
Get well clear of the building before using a phone.
Call 911 or the gas utility
The emergency number is on your gas bill.
Stay out
Do not re-enter until responders say it is safe.
Call a plumber after
Repairs come after the house is cleared.
What not to do inside the house
Leave light switches, appliances and plugs alone, keep flames and matches away, and do not run a car engine in an attached garage. Any of these can make a spark. Hold off on phone calls until you are out the door.
Spark risk
A tiny spark from a switch, a phone or a doorbell can ignite gas that has built up indoors. Leave the switches alone and go outside first.
Signs of a gas leak in your home: smell, sound and sight
Odor, noise and appearance, with what each one means.
On its own, natural gas is odorless. Suppliers blend in a harmless additive that smells of sulfur, like spoiled eggs, so that people notice a leak. Propane carries a similar added smell.
What you can smell, hear and see
The classic sign is a sulfur or rotten egg smell. Some people describe it as sewer-like, which is why the first thing to do with any strong sewer-like smell near a gas appliance is to treat it as gas until proven otherwise. A hissing, whistling or blowing sound near a pipe or appliance can be gas escaping under pressure.
Visible signs include a dust cloud or bubbling at a wet spot outdoors, dead or dying patches of vegetation over a buried line, and a flame that burns yellow or orange instead of blue on a gas burner. That last one points more to poor combustion than to a leak, but it also needs a call.
| What you notice | Where | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rotten egg or sulfur smell | Anywhere in the house or yard | Leave; call 911 or the gas utility |
| A hiss or a whistle | Close to a pipe, a meter or an appliance | Leave; call from outside |
| Bubbling in wet ground or standing water | Yard near the meter or line | Stay away; call |
| Dead patch of grass over the line | Yard | Report to the gas utility |
| Yellow-orange burner flame | Stove or furnace | Call a plumber for a look |
| Dust blowing from the ground | Near a buried line | Keep clear; call |
When the smell is faint
A faint smell is still a warning. A burner that did not light, a pilot that blew out or a pot that boiled over can leave a brief whiff of gas, and a short whiff that clears quickly after ventilating may be that. A smell that returns, or lingers, is not. If you are unsure, leave and call, since the call costs less than the risk.
Symptoms in people and warning signs at appliances
The body and the burner can warn you.
Symptoms in people and pets
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and a sense of being unwell can accompany a gas leak in a closed house. Pets can show unusual behavior first because they are smaller. If several people feel unwell at once and it eases when they step outdoors, treat the house as unsafe.
Carbon monoxide is a different hazard that can cause similar symptoms and has no smell. It comes from burning fuel without enough air, not from an unlit leak. Working carbon monoxide alarms on each floor, tested on a schedule, are separate from gas smell and are worth having in every house.
| Gas leak | Carbon monoxide | |
|---|---|---|
| Has a smell? | Yes, an added sulfur odor | No odor at all |
| Source | Escaping fuel gas from piping or an appliance | Incomplete burning of fuel |
| Main risk | Fire or explosion; also displaces air | Poisoning |
| Detector | Smell, or a gas alarm | A carbon monoxide alarm |
| First move | Leave and call from outside | Leave and call from outside |
Clues around appliances
Gas stoves, water heaters, furnaces and dryers all connect to the supply with a pipe or flexible connector. Signs of trouble include soot or scorch marks around a heater, a pilot that keeps going out, and a burner flame that is weak, lifting or odd in color. A heater in a garage or closet is a common place for these, since it is out of sight.
- Pilot light out repeatedlyAppliance needs a professional look
- Soot or scorch marksPoor combustion or leak near the appliance
- Yellow flame on a burnerNot burning cleanly
- Hissing at a connectorPossible leak; leave
- Rusted flex connectorCorroded and due for replacement
Outside the house: meter, yard and buried line
Salt air, soil and storms act on exposed gas piping.
Outside: the meter, the yard and the line
Gas enters the property through a meter, then through a buried line to the house. Salty bay air can corrode exposed fittings, regulators and the meter set, and wet clay soil that shifts through the seasons can stress buried piping. Outdoor signs include a smell near the meter, bubbles in a puddle over the line, and a patch of dead grass or plants over the route.
If you notice any of these, keep everyone clear and call the gas utility from a safe distance. The gas meter and the supply up to it are generally the utility’s. Piping from the meter into the house is the homeowner’s side, and a plumber handles repairs there once the utility has made it safe.
| Part | Who handles it | Typical problem |
|---|---|---|
| Gas main and service line to the meter | Gas utility | Damage, corrosion |
| Meter and regulator | Gas utility | Leak at fittings |
| House piping after the meter | Homeowner; repaired by a plumber | Corroded joints, damage |
| Appliance connectors | Homeowner; repaired by a plumber | Wear, rust, loose fittings |
| Appliance itself | Homeowner; service technician or plumber | Burners, valves |
Digging, storms and gas lines
Call 811 (Texas811) before any digging so that buried gas lines are marked. A shovel through a gas line is a serious emergency. After heavy rain or flooding, appliances that got wet and meters that have been disturbed should be checked before use. If you smell gas outside after a wet spell, tell the gas utility.
Safe checks and checks that are not safe
Few steps are yours to do.
Only a few safe checks are yours to do. None involves tools, and none involves going near a suspected leak.
Checks that are safe for a homeowner
Look at the cooktop flames when the stove is on. Blue and steady is normal. Look around the water heater for soot. Check that carbon monoxide alarms are working by pressing the test button. Walk the yard looking for dead patches over the line. Notice whether your gas bill has jumped without a change in use.
Do not use soapy water on a joint you suspect, do not tighten fittings, and do not try to relight a pilot that blew out repeatedly. If something looks wrong, call a plumber. The gas leak repair page describes what a plumber does once the house is safe.
- Burner flamesBlue and even is normal
- AlarmsTest carbon monoxide alarms on schedule
- Water heater areaNo soot, rust or scorch marks
- YardNo dead patches over the line
- Gas billA jump with no change in use is a hint
Checks that are not safe
Do not light matches near a suspected leak, test a joint with a flame, loosen an appliance connector or shut off and relight an appliance to see what happens. Do not try to find the leak by smell alone, because your nose adapts and a leak can seem to fade when it has not. Do not stay in a house that smells of gas to finish a task.
| Never do this | Why |
|---|---|
| Use a flame to find a leak | It can ignite the gas |
| Operate switches or appliances | A spark can ignite built-up gas |
| Tighten a fitting yourself | Over-tightening can crack it |
| Re-enter to turn things off | You can be overcome without warning |
| Assume a faded smell means it is gone | Your nose adapts |
After the call: testing, repair and what moves the price
Service returns only after a test.
What happens once responders clear the house
Responders check the rooms and may close the gas at the meter or at one appliance. Wait for their word before you walk back in. Gas stays off until the fault is found and fixed. A plumber then finds the source: a joint, a connector, a corroded section or a failed appliance valve.
The usual method is a pressure test of the piping, which shows whether the system holds. The plumber isolates sections to narrow it down. Repair can be as small as replacing a connector or as large as replacing a section of piping. See the gas line repair page for the larger jobs.
House cleared
Utility or fire crew confirm it is safe.
Gas shut off
Service stays off at the meter or appliance.
Plumber finds the fault
Pressure testing isolates sections of piping.
Repair made
A connector, joint or section is replaced.
Test and restore
The system is retested before service resumes.
What affects the price of the repair
The location of the fault, the amount of piping affected, access through walls or under the slab, the type of appliance connection and whether a section needs replacing all change the work. Testing time adds to a visit. Ask about pricing when you call; nothing sensible can be said until the leak is located.
If the same appliance keeps giving trouble, it may be past its useful life. The water heater repair and water heater replacement pages help you decide when a gas water heater is better replaced than fixed.
- Location of the faultAppliance, connector, house piping or buried line
- Amount of pipe affectedA joint versus a run
- AccessOpen wall, attic, crawlspace or slab
- Appliance ageOld units may be better replaced
- TestingRetest before gas is restored
Lowering the chance of a leak, and being ready
Wear is the usual cause.
Lowering the chance of a leak
Most gas leaks come from wear: flexible connectors that age, joints that loosen with vibration, outdoor fittings that rust in salty air, and appliances near the end of their life. A yearly look at appliances and connectors by a plumber catches many of these early.
When you move into a house or add a gas appliance, have the connection checked. Replace old flexible connectors when an appliance is moved or replaced. Keep the area around heaters and meters clear of clutter and growth. The gas line repair service covers lines, and the tankless water heater page covers appliance upgrades that need gas piping changes.
- Yearly checkAppliances and connectors looked over
- New applianceHave the connection tested
- Old connectorsReplace when the appliance moves
- Clear spaceNothing stored against heaters
- AlarmsCarbon monoxide alarms on each floor
- 811Call before any digging
Know your numbers before you need them
Look up the gas utility’s emergency number on your bill and save it in your phone. Make sure everyone in the house knows how to leave and where to meet outside. If you rent, tell the landlord about any smell or hissing at once.
If you have a question about whether a smell is gas or sewer gas, treat it as gas. Sewer smells from a dry drain trap usually come from the bathroom or floor drain, and the drain guide covers what to check there. But when in doubt, leave and call.
When to call a plumber about gas
Leave and call 911 or the gas utility first if you smell gas. A plumber comes after the house is cleared, or for the situations below.
After responders clear the house
A plumber finds the fault in the piping and repairs it.
A pilot that keeps going out
Appliance or connection trouble that needs a proper look.
A rusted or worn gas connector
Replace it before it fails.
A new gas appliance
The connection should be installed and tested correctly.
Gas services behind this guide
These pages describe the repair work, once the house is safe.
Gas leak repair
Finding and fixing the source after the house is cleared.
Gas leak repair details →Gas line repair
Repairing or replacing piping from the meter inward.
Gas line repair details →Water heater repair
Gas heater trouble, pilot problems and connectors.
Water heater repair details →Emergency plumber
Urgent calls answered at any hour.
Emergency plumber details →Questions about the signs of a gas leak in your home
What are the signs of a gas leak in your home in Texas City?
What should I do first if I smell gas?
Why does gas smell like rotten eggs?
Can I find a gas leak myself with soapy water?
Is a gas leak the same as carbon monoxide?
Who do I call for a gas leak, a plumber or the gas company?
What causes gas leaks in Texas City homes?
What affects the cost of a gas leak repair?
When can I turn the gas back on after a leak?
Is same-day gas repair available in Texas City?
More safety and repair guides
Gas repair after the house is clear? Call now.
Smell gas first? Leave and call 911 or the gas utility. For repairs afterward, a person answers at any hour in Texas City.