Natural gas has no smell on its own. Utilities add an odorant that most people describe as rotten eggs or sulfur, so a leak announces itself before it becomes dangerous. If you notice that smell inside your home, hear a hiss near a gas pipe, or see a flame that will not stay lit, act as if the leak is real. Leave first and sort out the cause later.
One point up front. We are a plumbing company, not the gas utility. We cannot shut off, test or repair the utility's pipes or meter, and a gas emergency starts with 911 and the utility, not with a plumber.
The first minute: leave, then call
- Stop what you are doing and walk out with everyone in the house, pets included. Do not search for the source.
- Do not touch light switches, garage door openers, thermostats, doorbells or appliances. Any of them can throw a spark.
- Do not use a landline, cell phone or flashlight inside the building. Wait until you are well away from it.
- From a safe distance, call 911 and then the gas utility's emergency line. The number is printed on your gas bill.
- Stay outside until the fire department or the utility tells you it is safe to go back in.
Do not start a car parked in an attached garage, and do not go back for belongings. A few minutes of waiting outside costs nothing. A spark in a gas-filled room can cost a house.
How to tell it is gas and not something else
Smell is the main clue, but it is not the only one. Your nose adapts to a faint odor quickly, so a smell that seems to fade is not a reason to relax.
Signs of a possible gas leak
- A rotten egg or sulfur smell, strong or faint, indoors or near the meter
- A hissing, whistling or blowing sound near a gas pipe, appliance or meter
- A small patch of dead grass or plants above a buried line outside
- Bubbles in standing water or wet soil near a gas line
- A pilot light that keeps going out, or a burner flame that turns yellow or orange instead of blue
- Headaches, nausea or dizziness that ease when you step outside, which can also point to carbon monoxide
| What you notice | What it could be | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rotten egg smell in the house | Gas escaping from an appliance, connector or house line | Leave now. Call 911 and the utility from outside |
| Faint sulfur smell near the water heater | Pilot trouble, a loose connection, or sewer odor from a dry drain trap | Treat it as gas until a professional says otherwise |
| Sulfur smell only from hot water taps | A reaction inside the water heater tank, which is not gas | Gas does not travel in water lines. Book a plumber if it persists |
| Hissing outdoors at the meter | Leak at the meter, regulator or a buried line | Stay back. Call 911 and the utility |
| Alarm sounding, no smell | Carbon monoxide or a low battery, not natural gas | A carbon monoxide alarm is also a leave-and-call event |
Where leaks usually start in a house
Most indoor leaks begin where a pipe meets a machine, because that is where parts flex, vibrate and wear. Flexible connectors age. Valves seize or weep. Old threaded joints loosen after a move or a remodel.
- The flexible connector behind a gas range or oven
- The dryer hookup, especially after the dryer has been pulled out and pushed back
- The shutoff valve and connector at a furnace or boiler
- The gas control valve and supply line on a gas water heater
- Unions and fittings on older black iron house lines
- Fireplace log lighters and gas inserts
Outdoors, trouble tends to show at the meter, the regulator or a buried service line. Who owns which stretch of pipe varies from address to address, so let the utility decide who repairs what.
What not to do while you wait
- Do not light a match or lighter to look for the leak.
- Do not try to tighten a fitting or close a valve you cannot reach from outside.
- Do not brush soapy water on pipes while you can smell gas. Testing belongs to a trained person with the house cleared.
- Do not go back in for a pet or a phone.
- Do not decide the danger has passed because the smell faded.
Romeoville note: who responds and what crews check
A Village of Romeoville road-closure notice about a gas main leak shows how a response unfolds here. Romeoville Police were notified of the leak at a street corner, and Nicor Gas crews made the repair. The notice says nearby homes were tested and no gas was found, storm sewers were checked as well, and no one was evacuated.
For you, that means crews may ask to test inside your home and around it, not just in the room that smelled. Gas can follow underground pipes, so responders look beyond the obvious spot. Let them in and follow their instructions.
Nicor Gas, in its published safety guidance, tells customers to treat even a faint rotten egg odor as a reason to act. It also says to avoid anything that can spark, including cell phones, light switches and vehicles, until you are outside and safe. Your gas bill shows which company serves your address, so find the emergency number now and save it in your phone while things are calm.
After the utility says the house is safe
A leak that is found and made safe is not always the end of the job. The utility or fire department may tag an appliance or close a valve until a repair is done. House piping on the home side of the meter is generally the homeowner's to fix, and that is where plumbing work begins.
Our licensed plumbers handle gas appliance connections and house-line work as part of plumbing installation. That includes swapping a worn connector, adding a shutoff valve, or running a new line for a range or dryer. We schedule that work after the home is cleared, never during a leak.
Gas water heaters and the pilot light question
A gas water heater is one of the largest fuel-burning appliances in the house. If the pilot keeps blowing out, the burner flame turns yellow, or soot shows up around the draft hood, something is wrong with fuel, air or venting. Do not keep relighting it, and never relight it if you smell gas.
Once the house is clear, a technician can check the gas control, the thermocouple and the flue. If the tank has failed or the venting is the problem, water heater repair is the next step, and a replacement may follow.
Utility finished and the house is cleared?
Call and tell dispatch what the crew tagged or shut off. We will line up the plumbing repair at the next open slot.
Call (630) 822-9290Habits that make a leak easier to catch
- Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace dead batteries.
- Learn where the gas shutoff valve is at each appliance, and keep the area around the meter clear.
- Have gas appliances checked when you buy a home, since you have no history on them.
- Keep the utility's emergency number saved in your phone and posted by the fridge.
- Mention any gas odor to a technician who is already in the house, even if it seems minor.
We serve homes in Joliet and Bolingbrook as well as Romeoville, and every step in this guide applies in all three. The gas company can differ from one address to the next, so confirm the provider on your bill rather than assuming.
Gas leak questions from Romeoville homeowners
Call 911 and your gas utility from outside, away from the house. Village of Romeoville notices about gas main leaks have named Nicor Gas crews on scene. Your gas bill confirms which company serves you and lists its emergency number.
Not while you can smell gas. If you suspect a leak, leave and call. A bubble test is something a trained person does on a cleared home, and a leak that is bubbling needs a repair, not a second look.
No. A carbon monoxide alarm responds to the exhaust gas from burning fuel, not to unburned natural gas. A separate natural gas detector exists, but your nose and a quick exit remain the first line of defense.
That odor usually comes from bacteria reacting inside the water heater tank, not from gas. A plumber can flush the tank and check the anode rod. If you also smell the odor with no water running, treat it as gas and leave.
In a live leak, leave and let 911 and the utility handle it. After the home is cleared, we repair or replace appliance connectors and house piping that fall within plumbing work. We do not work on the utility's meter or buried service line.
Only when the fire department or utility crew says so. They may need to test several rooms and the lines outside before they clear the home, and that can take some time.