GAS LEAK SAFETY | ARVADA, CO

Warning Signs of a Gas Leak in Your Arvada Home

A natural gas leak is one of the few plumbing emergencies where the correct first response is to leave the property, not to investigate further. Knowing the warning signs and the correct response could prevent a fire, an explosion, or carbon monoxide exposure. Arvada Plumbing Pros performs licensed gas line inspection, leak detection, and repair across Arvada. Call (720) 787-0333 for non-emergency gas line service. For an active suspected leak, follow the safety steps below first.

How to Recognize a Gas Leak

Natural gas is odorless in its raw form. Utility companies add a chemical called mercaptan, which produces the distinct sulfur or rotten egg smell most people associate with gas leaks. That smell is the most reliable and immediate warning sign, but it is not the only one.

Rotten egg or sulfur smell, even faint, near gas appliances, the gas meter, or along buried gas line routes in the yard
Hissing or whistling sound near a gas line, gas appliance connection, or the gas meter
Dead or dying vegetation in an otherwise healthy area of the yard, especially in a line pattern, which can indicate an underground gas line leak
Bubbles in standing water or wet soil above a buried gas line
A white cloud, mist, or fine dust blowing from a specific point near a gas line
Higher than normal gas bills without a corresponding increase in usage, which can indicate a slow leak
Physical symptoms in household members: headache, dizziness, nausea, or fatigue that improves when away from the home, which can indicate carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion at a gas appliance

Any single one of these signs warrants action. The smell of gas combined with a hissing sound is the clearest combination and should be treated as an active leak requiring immediate evacuation.

What to Do If You Smell Gas

STEP 1 | DO NOT CREATE A SPARK

Do not turn light switches on or off, do not use your phone inside the home, do not light a match or candle, do not start your car in an attached garage, and do not operate any electrical device, including doorbells. Any spark can ignite an accumulated gas concentration. Leave devices in whatever state they are currently in.

STEP 2 | GET EVERYONE OUT IMMEDIATELY

Evacuate the home immediately, including pets. Do not stop to gather belongings. Open doors as you exit if you can do so without delay, but do not spend time opening windows or searching for the leak source. Get a safe distance from the structure, well away from the building and the gas meter.

STEP 3 | CALL FROM A SAFE DISTANCE

Once you are away from the home, call your gas utility’s emergency line and 911. Do not call from inside the home or near the suspected leak source. The gas utility will dispatch to assess the leak and can shut off service at the meter if necessary. They typically respond faster than any other emergency service for an active gas leak report.

STEP 4 | DO NOT RETURN UNTIL CLEARED

Wait for the gas utility or fire department to confirm it is safe to re-enter. Once the immediate hazard is addressed, a licensed plumber identifies and repairs the source of the leak, whether it is a fitting, an appliance connection, or a section of gas line requiring replacement. Gas service is not restored until the leak is repaired and the system passes a pressure test.

Smell gas right now? Get out, then call us from a safe distance.

Common Sources of Gas Leaks in Homes

Gas leaks originate from a limited number of common sources, most of which a plumbing inspection that includes gas line assessment can identify before they become active leaks:

Appliance Connections

Flexible gas connector lines to water heaters, furnaces, ranges, and dryers degrade over time, especially older brass connectors that corrode and crack. A loose or improperly tightened fitting at an appliance connection is one of the most common gas leak sources found during inspections.

Aging or Damaged Gas Lines

Older steel gas lines can corrode, particularly at buried sections or where the line passes through a foundation wall. Gas lines damaged during landscaping, fence post installation, or other digging work near the gas line route are also a common source, sometimes not leaking immediately but developing a leak weeks or months after the damage occurred.

Water Heater and Furnace Issues

Beyond connection leaks, an aging gas water heater or furnace with a cracked heat exchanger can leak combustion gases, including carbon monoxide, into the home without an external gas smell. This is why carbon monoxide detectors are required alongside gas leak awareness, since not every combustion gas issue produces the mercaptan odor.

Preventing Gas Leaks in Your Arvada Home

Most gas leaks develop gradually at fittings and connections rather than appearing suddenly in solid pipe. Regular inspection catches developing problems before they become active leaks:

Schedule a gas line inspection every 1 to 2 years, particularly for homes over 20 years old or with original gas appliance connectors
Replace flexible appliance connectors every 10 years or immediately if any cracking, corrosion, or damage is visible
Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home and near sleeping areas, and test them monthly along with smoke detectors
Call 811 (Colorado 811) before any digging project, including fence posts, landscaping, and deck footings, to have buried gas lines marked before you dig
If you smell gas only intermittently or faintly, do not dismiss it. Report it to your gas utility, who will investigate at no cost. Intermittent smells are often the early stage of a developing leak.

We provide gas line inspection and repair across Jefferson County: Westminster CO · Lakewood CO · Golden CO · Wheat Ridge CO · Broomfield CO

Suspect a leaky fitting or connection? Get a licensed inspection.

Gas Leak Warning Signs Arvada | FAQs

What does a gas leak smell like?

Natural gas is naturally odorless. Utility companies add mercaptan, a chemical compound that produces a distinct sulfur or rotten egg smell, specifically so leaks can be detected by smell. Even a faint sulfur smell near a gas appliance, the gas meter, or in the yard along a gas line route should be treated as a possible leak and reported.

What should I do immediately if I smell gas in my house?

Do not operate any light switches, electronics, or anything that could create a spark. Evacuate everyone, including pets, immediately without stopping to gather belongings. Once outside and away from the home, call your gas utility’s emergency line and 911. Do not return to the home until the utility or fire department confirms it is safe.

Can a gas leak make you sick without a smell?

Yes, in the case of carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion at a furnace, water heater, or other gas appliance, which does not always produce the mercaptan odor associated with raw gas leaks. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue that improve when away from the home. Carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home are essential because this type of leak may have no detectable smell at all.

How much does gas leak detection and repair cost?

Gas leak detection typically runs $100 to $300 depending on the scope, often waived if repair work is performed. Repair costs vary widely depending on the source: a faulty appliance connector replacement runs $75 to $200, while a buried gas line repair requiring excavation can run $500 to $2,500 or more. The gas utility typically does not charge for an emergency response to a reported leak, but repairs to lines on the customer’s side of the meter are the homeowner’s responsibility.

Who do I call for a gas leak, the gas company or a plumber?

For an active suspected leak with a strong gas smell, evacuate first and call your gas utility’s emergency line and 911. The utility responds to assess the immediate hazard and can shut off gas service at the meter. For repair of the leak source itself, whether an appliance connector, fitting, or gas line, a licensed plumber performs the repair and pressure test before gas service is restored. Call (720) 787-0333 for repair after the utility has addressed the immediate hazard.

Gas Line Inspection or Repair Needed in Arvada?

Arvada Plumbing Pros performs licensed gas line inspection, leak detection, and repair across Arvada, CO. Pressure testing included on every gas line job before service is restored. Call (720) 787-0333.