Is It Safe to Stay in a House With a Gas Leak?
No. If you smell gas, hear gas escaping, or suspect a gas leak, leave the house immediately. Don't touch lights, use a phone inside, operate appliances, or create another possible ignition source while you're leaving.
Once you're outside and away from the building, call 911 and your gas utility's emergency line. Stay out until the utility or emergency responders say it's safe to return. HVAC service comes later. Calling us isn't the first step during an active leak.
What to do when gas may be leaking
| Situation | Safe next step |
|---|---|
| You smell gas indoors | Leave immediately without operating switches or electronics, then call 911 or the gas utility from outside. |
| You hear hissing near a gas appliance or line | Do not investigate the source. Get everyone outside and call 911 from a safe location. |
| A carbon-monoxide alarm sounds | Leave the home and call 911 from outside. Do not assume the alarm is only an HVAC service issue. |
| The gas utility or responders arrive | Follow their instructions and remain outside until they clear the home. |
| The home is cleared but the appliance is not operating | Call us for HVAC or appliance service once the immediate emergency's over. |
Why staying inside is dangerous
A light switch, appliance control, phone, or other electrical action can create a spark. A match, lighter, vehicle, or running engine can also ignite gas. The safest response is to move people and pets outside without stopping to find the source or collect belongings.
Gas and carbon monoxide warnings are different but both deserve a leave-first response. If someone has a headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion, or trouble breathing after possible exposure, tell 911 when you call from outside and follow the emergency operator's instructions.
- Do not use a phone or flip a switch inside the home.
- Do not start a vehicle in an attached garage or near the suspected leak.
- Keep neighbors and passersby away until responders or the utility make the area safe.
When HVAC service belongs in the conversation
After the gas utility or emergency responders clear the home, we can inspect an HVAC appliance that won't run, has a damaged vent, or needs repair. That inspection comes after the leak response, not instead of it. Use gas-leak emergency guidance for the boundary and furnace emergency service only once the home's safe to enter.
Don't relight a pilot, reset a furnace, reconnect a line, or troubleshoot a gas appliance while a leak's suspected. The detail that helps us later is what the utility or responder found and which equipment was shut down, not a risky attempt to make the system run again.
- Let the gas utility or emergency responders determine when re-entry is safe.
- Share the clearance and shutdown information with us.
- Keep gas-line and combustion repairs out of DIY troubleshooting.
Questions that come up next
Is It Safe to Stay in a House With a Gas Leak?
No. Leave immediately, don't touch switches or electronics inside, and call 911 or the gas utility from outside. Stay out until responders or the utility clear the home.
Can I call an HVAC technician before the gas company?
Not for an active or suspected leak. The gas utility and emergency responders handle the immediate hazard first. We can follow once the home's been inspected and cleared.
Should I turn off the furnace if I smell gas?
Don't touch the furnace or another switch while inside. Leave first and call from outside. Follow the gas utility or emergency responder's instructions about the appliance.
Need HVAC help in Frederick?
Tell us what the system is doing and what you've checked already. If it needs a visit, we'll say so.