A gas leak is one of the few home problems that should never wait until morning. Natural gas can build up in a closed kitchen, garage or crawlspace, and a single spark from a light switch or a garage door opener can be enough to ignite it. That is why our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and why emergency calls go to the front of our schedule.
Most emergency calls we take in Cerritos start the same way: someone walks into the house after work, catches a sulfur smell near the stove or water heater, and is not sure how serious it is. We walk you through the first few minutes on the phone, then come out to locate the leak, isolate it and make the repair so the gas can be turned back on safely.
What our emergency gas leak repair service includes
- Safety guidance on the phone the moment you call, before we arrive
- Shutting off gas to the affected line or appliance so the house is safe to work in
- Electronic gas detection along every exposed line, fitting and appliance connection
- A pressure test of the system to confirm whether more than one leak exists
- Repair or replacement of the failed fitting, valve, connector or pipe section
- A second pressure test after the repair, plus relighting pilot lights once gas is restored
How the job works, step by step
- Get out and callIf the smell is strong, leave the house, call 911 or your gas utility from outside, then call us. If the smell is faint, we tell you what to check and what not to touch.
- We make it safeOn arrival we confirm the area is clear, shut off the gas at the right valve and ventilate before any tools come out.
- We pinpoint the sourceA gas detector, bubble solution on joints and a pressure gauge on the system tell us exactly where the gas is escaping.
- We repair and retestWe replace the failed part, then hold the line under test pressure to prove the repair is tight before gas is turned back on.
Signs that call for an emergency visit
- A rotten egg smell that gets stronger near an appliance, the meter or a wall
- A hissing or whistling sound from a gas line or connector
- A gas utility technician has shut off your meter and left a tag on it
- Burners that suddenly flicker, lift off the burner or burn yellow
- Headaches, dizziness or nausea in the house that ease once you go outside
When to call us
Call us right away if you can smell gas inside, if an appliance connector was bumped or pulled loose, or if the utility has shut off your service because of a leak. The gas company handles the meter and the line up to it. The piping on your side of the meter, including every appliance connection, is the part we repair.
If anyone feels ill, or the smell is strong enough that you hesitate to stay inside, treat it as an emergency first. Leave, call 911 from outside, and call us once everyone is safe.
Strong smell of gas? Leave the house first and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Then call us for the repair.
