Short answer
Leave right away. Do not turn lights, the furnace or anything else on or off, do not use a phone inside and do not light a flame. Get everyone out, pets too, and leave the door open behind you. From outside and away from the house, call 911 or your gas company's emergency line. Stay out until they say it is safe.
Safety first
A spark from a light switch, a phone, a doorbell or a car in the garage can ignite gas. Do not try to find the leak or turn any valve. If the carbon monoxide alarm sounds or anyone feels dizzy or sick, tell the 911 operator.
What to do if you smell gas near the furnace
1A rotten egg smell near the furnace
Gas companies add that smell so you notice a leak. Treat it as real, even if it is faint.
Read all the steps
- A rotten egg smell near the furnace. Gas companies add that smell so you notice a leak. Treat it as real, even if it is faint.
- Do not touch any switch or flame. No lights, no furnace switch, no thermostat, no phone, no lighter. A tiny spark can ignite gas.
- Get everyone out, pets too. Leave right away and leave the door open behind you. Do not stop to open windows or look for the leak.
- Call 911 or the gas company from outside. Walk well away from the house, then call. Say you smell gas near the furnace and tell them if anyone feels sick.
- Stay out until they say it is safe. Wait for the gas company or firefighters to check the house. Before you use the furnace again, have a heating technician inspect it.
- Once it is safe, have the furnace checked Especially if: before you use the furnace again after any gas smell, have a technician inspect it.
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What not to do
- Do not turn lights, the furnace, the thermostat or any appliance on or off.
- Do not use a phone or a doorbell inside or near the house, and do not open the garage door.
- Do not light a match, a lighter or a candle, or start a car in the garage.
- Do not try to find the leak or close gas valves yourself.
- Do not go back in for anything until you hear it is safe.
Gas smell or another furnace smell?
A dusty smell the first time you turn the heat on in the fall is common and fades within an hour. A smell like hot metal or melting plastic, or smoke, means turn the furnace off at the thermostat and call a technician. A rotten egg or sulfur smell is gas: get out first and call from outside.
When to call an HVAC technician
- Before you use the furnace again after any gas smell, have a technician inspect it.
- The gas company found a leak or shut off the gas to the furnace.
- The smell comes back after the gas company leaves: get out and call them again.
- The carbon monoxide alarm goes off: get out and call 911.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I smell gas near my furnace?
Get everyone out without touching any switch, and call 911 or your gas company from outside. Do not go back in until they say it is safe.
Is it normal to smell gas when the furnace turns on?
A very brief whiff right as the burners light can happen, but it should be gone in a second. If the smell lingers or you are not sure, treat it as a leak and get out.
Should I turn off the furnace if I smell gas?
No. Do not touch the furnace switch, the thermostat or any light switch, because a spark can ignite gas. Leave, and let the gas company shut things off.
Can I call from my cell phone inside the house?
No. Make the call once you are outside and away from the house. A phone can make a small spark.
What does a gas leak smell like?
Like rotten eggs or sulfur. Gas companies add that smell to natural gas and propane so leaks are easy to notice.
Who checks the furnace after a gas leak?
The gas company finds and stops the leak. Before you use the furnace again, have a heating technician inspect it and the gas line.