Act now
Gas smell: leave the house now
A rotten-egg smell can mean a gas leak. Get everyone out first, then call 911 or your gas utility from outside.
Why this happens
The American Gas Association explains that utilities add an odorant called mercaptan to natural gas so a leak smells like rotten eggs. DTE Energy also lists a burnt-match odor or a blowing or hissing sound as signs of a leak. Trane says a strong, lingering gas scent from a furnace means you should leave your home immediately and call 911.
Do this now
- Leave the house now and take everyone with you, pets included.
- On the way out, don't flip light switches, adjust the thermostat, use appliances, doorbells, garage door openers or flashlights, and don't use any phone inside. DTE and Columbia Gas both warn that these can make a spark.
- Don't smoke or light anything, and don't stop to open windows. Columbia Gas says to get out instead.
- Once you are well away from the house, call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line.
- Don't look for the leak yourself, and don't go back inside until first responders or the utility say it is safe.
What to tell the HVAC technician
- Where you noticed the smell and how strong it was.
- Whether you heard hissing or blowing near the furnace, the gas meter or a gas line.
- Whether the furnace was running, and what you were troubleshooting when you noticed it.
- Once the utility clears the house, tell the HVAC technician what the utility found.
Build the full list: what to tell the HVAC technician.
Start this troubleshooter over
References (every fact above comes from one of these pages)
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