What to Do If You Smell Gas in Your Home

Natural gas is odorless in its natural state. The sulfur compound that makes it smell like rotten eggs — mercaptan — is added specifically so you can detect a leak. If you smell it, take it seriously. Every year, gas leaks cause house fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning in homes across Metro Detroit.

What to do immediately: get everyone out of the house, including pets. Do not turn any lights on or off — a light switch can generate a spark. Do not use your phone inside the house. Do not try to find the leak yourself. Leave the door open as you exit to ventilate the space.

Once you're outside and away from the building, call 911 and then call your gas utility — DTE Energy in most of Metro Detroit. They will dispatch a crew to shut off the gas at the meter and assess the situation. Do not re-enter the building until the utility has cleared it.

After the utility has shut off the gas and cleared the scene, call Plumb-O-Matic. We locate the leak, repair or replace the affected section of gas line, pressure-test the system, and coordinate with the utility for reconnection. We pull the permit, pass the inspection, and document everything.

Gas line work requires a licensed plumber and a permit. Do not let anyone repair a gas line without pulling a permit — it's a safety issue and a liability issue. Call us at 313-427-4780 for gas line emergencies across all 7 Metro Detroit locations.