When is a natural gas leak not an emergency?

June 29, 2024 10:58 AM

Living as a guest with friends, strong smell of natural gas for months, they say its just a small issue and that the basement is vented so it doesn't build up. Recently seems much worse, so I tracked down the leak with a spray bottle of soapy water, and while it's not hissing, it's actively bubbling quite a bit. They're still insisting not an emergency and maybe they'll have it looked at at end of summer. That's wrong, right?

Oh yeah, I'm having crazy respiratory symptoms that I was thinking were related to allergies and asthma. Because it could be. But I have never heard of leaving an active leak. And I swear I'm dizzy here, but it could be allergies.

I'm a guest too, I came to live here to get "back on my feet" and its been rough because I do have some pretty bad allergies and one of the people smokes. And we know there is mold and other issues, just like the level of cleanliness is less than I would have as someone WITH atopic illness (though its getting better).

It's just that now we're getting the dust and mold under control and they're smoking outside, omg the gas smell. I am tempted to call 911 after the two discussions I had where they blew it off. The reason I have not is because last couple days I've discussed this quite a bit; they do not think its a problem and I'm questioning my knowledge of home maintenance. Apparently it's been like this for at least 4 years. However, I'm half wondering if the gas leak itself is causing poor judgement.

The only other reason I'm questioning my judgement is that even though the smell is very strong in the basement (to me), I don't notice it in the rest of the house. That and I do tend to have bad allergies that can result in weird symptoms like dizziness. But I have had issues of just feeling off and dizzy and its on the side of the house the gas leak is, but its 2 floors away. And again, no gas smell outside the basement.

There IS a small vent fan blowing air out of the basement, but IDK how helpful it is.

I don't know why they're ignoring. I don't believe its a money issue, but it might be a bit of neurospiciness and having a lot of small repairs on an old house. I'm hestant to call 911 because I don't have anywhere else to go, and I am afraid it will irreparably end up with no longer being welcome if I'm wrong. But if it is actually something I should be calling 911 on, I will.

posted by [insert clever name here] to Home & Garden (46 answers total)

Is there any reason not to call the gas company to come check on it?
posted by gottabefunky at 11:02 AM on June 29 [24 favorites]

Every time I've called my gas company they've been very kind and responsive, and don't charge for finding leaks. Maybe your friends think the only option is 911 or a repair company? The gas company doesn't do repair and will shut it off at the nearest valve if there's a leak, but are super helpful for everything else.
posted by sepviva at 11:07 AM on June 29 [15 favorites]

I can't imagine just sitting on this for months. Call the gas company.
posted by Alensin at 11:09 AM on June 29 [16 favorites]

Gas company people are wonderful. They'll come out for free. They love love love when their customers do not blow up in a preventable disaster.

The last time People's Gas came to my home I was not keeping it cute. I was thisclose to carrying a cudgel down to the basement with us to beat off the battalion of spiders who have taken roost down there, but the workers were very brave. Then they had to come upstairs (oh no) to make sure my stove turned back on safely after they did their repairs. Was not expecting that. I don't know what part of what meal was encrusted on my stovetop, but even at that time it had been spilt there so long the memory had been lost to time. Still, the People's Gas workers didn't flinch. I even hamfistedly apologized for the state of things and she very good naturedly said "ma'am, it's your home, my only role here is to make sure you're safe. ....And trust me I've seen a lot of houses, you're doing fine."

Anyway long story short, whatever vague or specific concerns there may be about getting this checked out, I promise you they aren't a problem. Just call your gas utility. They'll take care of the rest.
posted by phunniemee at 11:32 AM on June 29 [37 favorites]

You located an "actively bubbling" leak from a gas line, that is a problem! What if the power goes out and the vent fan stops running, etc. etc.

Are appliances gas, or is the furnace being used currently? When you call the gas company, what they'll likely do is shut the gas off until you can get the piping fixed. If you can get buy-in from your friends, or at least not surprise them with wet laundry in a dead dryer, that's good. And if you're in a position to chip in some money for maintenance of the house, plan a week of microwave meals, or make phone calls, it might smooth the way. Anyway, your instinct is correct, gas leaks are bad.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:33 AM on June 29 [8 favorites]

This is crazy.

Just google it:
How serious is a small gas leak?
Is a Small Gas Leak OK? There's no such thing as a safe gas leak. Although small amounts of natural gas are less dangerous than large amounts, even a small gas leak can build up to an unsafe level, especially in a small room with all the windows closed.

So how do you know the fan is circulating enough air not to allow the gas to be pooling enough along the floor to cause an explosion?

Mercaptan is added to natural gas to allow for detection--that's what stinks and causes most of the physical symptoms and can make you really sick. Methane is colorless and odorless--it will just kill you.

Physical Symptoms of a Gas Leak
Symptoms of a gas leak occur due to the reduction in the amount of oxygen in the air. Common symptoms include:
Breathing difficulties
Dizziness
Fatigue or drowsiness
Feeling lightheaded
Flu-like symptoms
Headaches
Irritation to the eyes and throat
Mood changes, including depression
Nausea
Nosebleeds
Pains in the chest
Pale skin or blistering, following direct contact with gas
Reduced appetite
Ringing in the ears

Even if I were stupid enough not to call the gas company, I would think that they would attempt to patch it with RTV silicone or something. (I am NOT recommending this!) Sounds like if there is one area where the pipe is corroded, there may be other areas that you've missed.

Start finding a safe place to stay and call the gas company.
posted by BlueHorse at 11:42 AM on June 29 [5 favorites]

Absolutely call the gas company, this is so immediately dangerous.
posted by potent_cyprus at 11:46 AM on June 29 [8 favorites]

Oh, and to answer your top line: Never. A natural gas leak is never not an emergency.
posted by potent_cyprus at 11:49 AM on June 29 [20 favorites]

Unless your friends live far away from any neighbors, this can't just be their call. If something happened it might affect everyone nearby.

This is one of those things where the consequences if something does go wrong can be truly disastrous. However expensive or annoying this is going to be, it's going to be much much worse if their house burns down, or anyone else's burns down, or anyone gets hurt.

On the much much more prosaic side of things, a leak means their gas bill has probably been higher than it should be.

it might be a bit of neurospiciness and having a lot of small repairs on an old house

Tell them you'll take care of it for them. Now, not at the end of summer. And if at all possible, that you'll chip in on repair costs should they be necessary.

Call the gas company right away.
posted by trig at 11:54 AM on June 29 [4 favorites]

Call the gas company right away.

I've never heard of anyone leaving a gas leak in their home. It's just so dangerous. And if you can smell it in the basement, the fan is not doing that great a job. I've lived in natural gas heated homes my entire life and the first rule is, if you smell gas, leave and call the gas company.

I would do this:

Call the gas company.
Let the friends know the gas company is coming.
Take them out to dinner if the gas is shut down.
Offer some contribution toward repairs.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:02 PM on June 29 [11 favorites]

And um to avoid unpleasantness, I could see the caller to the gas company being anonymous as in a neighbor or even passerby who smells a strong gas smell "in the area" of this house.
posted by RoadScholar at 12:06 PM on June 29 [7 favorites]

You can't affect how your hosts will feel about you getting this fixed, but gas leaks are bad.

call the utility. in my area they will fix leaks
for free.

absolutely do not live/sleep/linger in the basement space until it's repaired.
posted by zippy at 12:28 PM on June 29 [4 favorites]

Houses literally blow up from gas leaks. I’ve lived in two cities where this happened. In both cases the houses were completely destroyed. This is not something you fuck around with no matter what effect it might have on a friendship. Call the gas company now.
posted by FencingGal at 12:37 PM on June 29 [15 favorites]

If you can smell it, it's a problem. I used to investigate gas explosions. The smell is there to tell you it's a problem. I can't tell you how many explosions I investigated because people ignored, or became noseblind to the smell. It's pretty much all of them.

Call the gas company immediately. I personally would not be in or near a house with a gas small.
posted by sanka at 1:38 PM on June 29 [15 favorites]

It's not an emergency when the guy from the gas company checks it out and says it's not an emergency. I had an outdoor leak like that - smelled gas, called the company, their guy measured it, shrugged, and gave me a reference to a plumber to fix it.

In contrast, the other time I had a gas leak, they measured it and then shut off and padlocked my gas meter until I had it fixed. That's a possible outcome of your situation, which is both the correct thing to do from a safety perspective and likely to anger your hosts.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 1:47 PM on June 29 [7 favorites]

This is insane.

Gas leak explosions have destroyed multi-story buildings in New York City more than once. Many people died.

Call the gas company yesterday.
posted by freakazoid at 2:03 PM on June 29 [13 favorites]

My wife and I had a new gas stove installed four years ago. Ever since then, we've smelled natural gas in the kitchen. But it's been a fairly mild smell. Still, I would call the gas company on this one.
posted by alex1965 at 2:47 PM on June 29

Yes, it’s dangerous. Also, it’s unclear whether you are sleeping in the basement. Don’t ! Waking up dead sucks.
posted by caviar2d2 at 2:56 PM on June 29 [3 favorites]

Yes, this is an emergency. Please call the utility.

If the danger isn't enough, you should also know that methane (aka the gas making up most of what we call natural gas) has a GWP of around 30 on a 100 year timescale, which means it is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Please get this leak sewn up.
posted by pullayup at 3:09 PM on June 29

Do not pass GO, do not collect $200, do pick up your phone right now.
posted by panhopticon at 3:53 PM on June 29 [3 favorites]

My wife and I had a new gas stove installed four years ago. Ever since then, we've smelled natural gas in the kitchen. But it's been a fairly mild smell.

Similarly, this is alarming behavior. You should not smell gas with a properly-installed range. I would be apoplectic if I was your neighbor and discovered this was your attitude.
posted by potent_cyprus at 4:06 PM on June 29 [19 favorites]

In many cases, hese types of things aren’t really seen as an emergency… until the building explodes. Call the gas company.
posted by azpenguin at 4:07 PM on June 29 [2 favorites]

Well I am in NJ with utility PSE&G, but I gather from comments above that other utilities are like this also. They are definitely willing to come out and check on leaks or suspected leaks (you seem to definitely have the former). I once had a smell throughout the house that we could not pinpoint. They came out and it turned out to be the lawn mower in the garage seemed to be leaking gasoline. They have sniffer devices. Open your windows and call from the lawn, DO NOT take chances.
posted by forthright at 4:09 PM on June 29

There is an active indoor gas leak and they are smokers? There was an underground line gas leak on my block that the gas company was ok with leaving for months but that was because it was outside near the street and impossible to build up to dangerous levels. An indoor gas leak is so much more dangerous, fans can fail, windows get closed, gas can pool in areas and concentrate to explosive levels.

The gas people are very nice but they won’t conduct a repair inside the home, so given that you’ve already found the leak all they can do is shut off the gas. You’ll need to decide if you think that will anger your hosts, as you’ve turned what THEY see as a non-emergency fix into an emergency fix, assuming they currently need gas for stoves, dryers, hot water, etc. I’m not saying they’re right, but if your housing is precarious you do need to think through all the possibilities.

Is there any chance you have the funds to leave for a week or so and maybe can call a plumber to repair the section of pipe with the leak yourself? If not I fear you have no choice but to call the gas company and possibly incur the wrath of the homeowners. Personally, I would tell them I was going to do so first, in the hopes that would spur them into action, but only you know if that will just make things worse. Unfortunately they won’t see it as possibly saving their home and their lives, even though you are.
posted by misskaz at 4:33 PM on June 29 [2 favorites]

Well if it isn’t an emergency, when the gas people come out they will shrug and agree, right? Then your friends will get official reassurance of their crackpot theory.
But, what will actually happen is that they will come out and say a professional version of HOLY HELL WE HAVE TO FIX THIS NOW BEFORE YOUR HOUSE EXPLODES.
They will come out as soon as you call, none of this bit about making an appointment for later. So don’t call as you are heading out the door for dinner. Call now.

These friends of yours, do they have a history of making sensible decisions?
posted by Vatnesine at 4:42 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

If I found a leak in a gas pipe in my house using the soapy water method, I would wrap the pipe tightly with enough gaffa tape to stop the bubbles, then turn off the gas supply valve at the meter, then immediately call my gas supplier to get it fixed properly.

Leaving an increasingly bad indoor gas leak unrepaired is not sane.
posted by flabdablet at 4:55 PM on June 29

Given your friends' blasé attitude and that you're living there as as a guest, I’d rent a detector which will record the levels of gas and show them the results if the levels turn out to be dangerous or concerning in the slightest degree. Also take a video of the bubbling leak.

If the levels aren’t concerning I’d buy an activated carbon based air purifier for my room, and continue to monitor the leak.
posted by jamjam at 5:09 PM on June 29

If the levels aren’t concerning I’d buy an activated carbon based air purifier for my room, and continue to monitor the leak.

Gas is concerning because it catches on fire and you will blow up. Your home will blow up with everything in it, including you, and if you blow up you will die and it will hurt the entire time you're dying. Y'all please don't fuck with gas leaks.
posted by phunniemee at 5:26 PM on June 29 [14 favorites]

I'm a very DIY person (gas included).

I'm saying this just to simplify things - don't worry about symptoms (especially now that you know them, you'll always be second guessing yourself). Don't worry about what else they have going on, or other repairs, etc.

If you can smell gas, that's enough to call the utility. But as mentioned above, if you've already isolated the leak to your house, I would shut off the gas to that area (if possible), and call a plumber. This will likely be a 30 minute / $200 fix, involving either tightening a pipe or replacing a small section of pipe. If that's beyond your means/their means....yeah, I would call 911 and let the chips fall where they may.
posted by true at 5:27 PM on June 29 [3 favorites]

Please call the gas company.

Please do not listen to anyone who downplays this. You do not know why you have not yet blown up. It could be that the concentration of leaking gas is too low to be dangerous right now. It could be that you got lucky. Either of those could easily change: the fan could stop venting; the air circulation could shift due to changes in season; the leak could get worse; a spark could occur in the wrong place.

The costs of deciding that it's probably fine and then being wrong are very, very high.

I am sorry that this puts you in a bad position, because you are a guest in their house and they are being negligent of everyone's safety. But please call the gas company.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 5:46 PM on June 29 [3 favorites]

As a measure of seriousness, note that some local governments (eg: NH) say that if you can smell gas you should exit the structure and move 300 feet or more away before calling anyone.

300 feet.

Think about that for a moment.
posted by aramaic at 6:17 PM on June 29 [10 favorites]

The other problem with gas leaks is that all kinds of things in a house can emit a spark . If you suspect a leak, you’re not even supposed to use light switches or electrical outlets because of the danger of explosion. Get out of the house and call the gas company right now.
posted by corey flood at 6:19 PM on June 29 [3 favorites]

In the semi-rural suburb of Pittsburgh where I currently sit, three houses have exploded in the last 15 years. The last one, less than a year ago, killed 6 people and leveled a number of other houses around it. This is nothing to put off dealing with because you or your hosts are tight on funds. Call the gas company this minute.
posted by jon1270 at 6:45 PM on June 29 [4 favorites]

OP, please give us an update once the gas company’s been called.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 6:55 PM on June 29 [4 favorites]

tracked down the leak with a spray bottle of soapy water, and while it's not hissing, it's actively bubbling quite a bit.
There's a known leak in a gas line? Call the gas supplier, right now. Do not stay in the house. This is common sense, and the only safe option. It may end up costing money to have a gas line repaired; this must be done by a certified technician, often a plumber with certification to work on gas lines. They might not think so, but this is a favor to your friends.

Natural gas is also really bad for you to breathe, even before it blows you up. Yes, please come back and let us know what action you've taken.
posted by theora55 at 7:47 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

Leaks don’t get better on their own, only worse.

Gas leaks are so serious that I almost wonder if your hosts are having cognitive problems because of it and that’s why they’re acting like this very obvious danger is not dangerous?

They SMOKE in a house with a known gas leak? I’m scared for all of you.

Calling the gas company is totally worth the hit to your relationship and even to your living situation.

Can you call while they’re out? The gas co will come right away and yes, it’s free and they’re nice. Had to do it in NYC and it wasn’t a gas leak (pilot light was turned up too high and burning the underside of the stovetop!) They were happy to fix that issue, they were not at all put out and in fact were falling all over themselves to thank me for calling them in.

Lie to your hosts if you have to— tell them you passed out or heard a loud pop or hiss or something. Tell them you had such a bad headache you went to urgent care and urgent care told you to check for gas leaks. I like the fib that the gas co got an anonymous complaint from a neighbor or something.

Hope this is resolved very soon and that you feel better.
posted by kapers at 7:47 PM on June 29 [2 favorites]

Just nthing everyone else saying this a serious situation and should be dealt with immediately. And yes, I would not stay in or even NEAR a house where this is going on.

In our area, we have multiple houses explode every year and it is always a problem of this sort. Explode - yes. Like KABOOM! And fire everywhere. Often the house is completely destroyed beyond repair. If people are in the house it often kills some or all of them.

Usually such things happen when no one is home, though. Because when you smell gas most people take immediate action, and that is what usually happens when someone is home. So the KABOOM stage most often happens when no one is home for a while. Or if they smelled it but ignored for whatever reason.

Here is a literally horrifying list of such incidents from our local area. This is nothing to fool around with.

Good luck!
posted by flug at 8:00 PM on June 29

Also, this isn’t saying anything about your skills, but I wouldn’t trust my own “soapy water test” results. Because am I 110% sure I tested all possible areas and did it correctly?
posted by kapers at 8:01 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

My wife and I had a new gas stove installed four years ago. Ever since then, we've smelled natural gas in the kitchen. But it's been a fairly mild smell. Still, I would call the gas company on this one.

Oh my gosh this thread gets scarier.

To reinforce what ppl have said: the reason scent is added to natural gas is because it’s dangerous both as an inhaled chemical and because it explodes/burns. If you can smell gas, you need to have that checked out.

The whole idea is that if you can smell it (other than like, you just turned a burner on), you should have it inspected. That is literally what the smell is for. Even if it’s not a leak (which I don’t think can really happen- the smell is there because the gas is there( - if you habituate to the scent, that’s a problem. My MIL lost her sense of smell after Covid and we have installed alarms/sensors on all floors because she can’t smell a gas leak.

I also just realized rereading this thread that your friends started smoking outside due to your “allergies,” not due to the gas. What the hell. And yes a spark could be dangerous. Please do call the gas company if you haven’t.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:00 PM on June 29 [7 favorites]

Call the gas company today!

I had a job once working for a public utility on a project related to their leak survey process, where they regularly send field workers out to inspect the gas service lines in their whole coverage area because unpatched leaks are a terrible danger to life and property. They will be happy to send someone out to check the problem, free of charge, and advise you on getting it fixed.

If you have found (or even just suspect) a natural gas leak in or around your home, get it inspected immediately. Let the gas company determine whether this is an emergency or not. Yes, it's inconvenient if they shut off the service or red-tag your appliances but having your house blow up is also inconvenient. Avoid using gas-burning appliances, as well as any activities that can generate a spark or flame, until the situation is resolved.

Your friends smoking in/around the house makes me concerned for your safety. Do not delay on getting this checked out.
posted by 4rtemis at 2:58 AM on June 30 [3 favorites]

The only time a gas leak is not an emergency is when it's not actually a gas leak, it's someone siphoning off the gas illegally.

Now pilot lights blowing out, that's not a gas leak, or an emergency. Slightly smelly pilot lights would worry me, but maybe the person above who smells their cooking gas is smelling the gas fire rather than the gas itself. But when my mother had her natural gas disconnected and then reconnected it herself so as to heat her house in Montreal for free, you can bet the gas company knew alllll about it. They monitor the gas pressure and what they charge people. So they *knew * absolutely someone in her neighbourhood was siphoning gas. They sent around inspectors looking for gas leaks. They were very serious about sending around inspectors looking for gas leaks.They were diligent...

And once they were quite, quite certain it was not a gas leak, that someone in a four or five house radius was actually siphoning off the gas and burning it safely in a furnace, they stopped coming around. Because they couldn't prove which house it was, so they couldn't get a search warrant to come inside. After that they didn't care because my mother stealing a couple of thousand dollars of gas per year was small potatoes compared to how very seriously they took the possibility of a gas leak, with an explosion and the resulting bad publicity and expenses for them.

The gas company thinks that your hosts are burning this gas. And your hosts are paying for this gas.

Gas can pool. Leaking gas can pool at the lowest level, and then find cracks and seep into levels lower down. It can seep gently downward into crawlspaces and holes in foundations, into sewer pipes and rat burrows. And then it can sit, enclosed waiting for the spark that turns it into an explosive bomb. For gas to explode, as opposed to merely flaring up whoosh with a big sheet of flame, it needs to be enclosed, so that the flame has no place to happen. When the spark finally happens the gas ignites and expands. Whatever surrounds it goes boom.

Yeah, you've got a little problem. Your hosts might be willing to call the gas company themself when you explain that the only reason the gas company is not asking around to account for a discrepancy in their psi is because they think their customer has a badly insulated hot water tank that won't retain heat or something. They may even think they are burning the gas to power a grow op. Your host are paying for this leak on their utility bill, and that is disguising the danger. Unless your hosts are siphoning gas, or actually running a grow op, and don't want to call the gas company because of that. In which case they have a really, really serious problem.

Those pipes all need to be tested and the one leaking, at minimum has to be replaced.


I am glad you searched until you found the leak. It might not be serious because it has been venting. It might result in a one hour visit where a gas company tech replaces the pipe. It might result in the household gas supply shut off for a week and a technician coming out and walking around with a gas detector checking the manholes. But it might be so serious that the entire block ends up in a short stay Red Cross motel in emergency accommodation. I am so sorry. But I think this one is a duty to warn situation.

You need to get out, for the sake of your health. And yes, your hosts could be and probably are chronically sick from breathing gas fumes, resulting in dizziness, stupidity, depression, and poor respiration. But since you have respiratory problems this is not at all a good place for you in particular to live.
posted by Jane the Brown at 4:35 AM on June 30 [7 favorites]

The gas company will send somebody out in the middle of the night, in fact. I know this because my friend was having a party and we smelled gas in the kitchen and they sent somebody out after midnight to amble through the drunken crowds to the kitchen, nod sternly, and turn off the gas to the apartment. This was a great inconvenience to the smokers whose lighters had run out of butane and who had been lighting their cigarettes on the stove burners, but in the long run, we were all probably better off. Because the party did not explode and kill everyone at it.

Gas companies are willing to pay employees to do this kind of thing because they would rather keep supplying natural gas to their customers and reaping the delicious benefits of that practice than blow up entire neighborhoods, thus inspiring thousands of their other, as-yet-living customers to get rid of natural gas.

Your friends' gas company likely will turn their gas off and fix nothing and the friends will have to call a plumber to fix the leak. Now is a great time to call! The emergency people will come out today and then you guys can get a plumber out Monday to fix the leak.
posted by Don Pepino at 1:34 PM on June 30 [1 favorite]

In my experience (PG&E in California), if you call PG&E they will come out within hours and test for a leak. I think if they can make the leak stop by turning off an appliance they might just turn it off and tell you to get it fixed. But if the leak is in a pipe, they will absolutely turn off the gas at the main and tell you that you need to get it fixed and get PG&E back out to retest before they will turn it back on. And then calmly leave the house while you urgently start calling around to plumbers who can come out asap to address the problem.

By the way, to fix a gas leak, you call a plumber. You can easily tell from their website which ones are prepared to work with gas.
posted by metahawk at 2:05 PM on June 30

To be clear, when the gas company confirms the leak, they will most likely Red Tag the affected line and turn off service until a licensed plumber comes to fix the leak. They will not fix the leak themselves, unless it is coming from their equipment.

This will probably annoy the person you are staying with, so be prepared.
posted by funkaspuck at 3:54 PM on June 30 [2 favorites]

Hey OP, you have no obligation to update but my family and I have been thinking of you! Your question was a good excuse to make sure my kids understand natural gas, something none of us are born knowing. :) If you do have a chance to update, please do.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:16 PM on July 1 [4 favorites]

I keep coming back to this thread to check on the safety of the OP! [insert clever name here], would you be willing to let us know you're okay, and how things were resolved?
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 11:04 AM on July 3 [1 favorite]