I smell gas / worried about a gas leak

If you smell gas right now: leave the property, do not operate switches or open flames, and call your gas utility or emergency services from outside -- this page is not a substitute for that.

What's happening

Natural gas and propane are naturally odorless -- utilities add a distinctive smell specifically so a leak can be noticed. A slow or intermittent leak, or a leak in a room you don't spend time in, can still go unnoticed by smell alone.

Why it matters

Once the immediate situation is handled -- meaning you're not smelling gas right now -- ongoing detection is about catching a leak before it reaches the point where you'd smell it, not after.

What kind of solution

Two different tools cover this: a fixed, plug-in alarm you install once and leave running for ongoing, unattended protection, or a portable handheld sniffer for pinpointing a leak you already suspect near a specific fitting or appliance. They're not substitutes for each other -- see the comparison below for which fits your situation.

Next step

Compare the gas leak detectors covered by this site to see the difference between a fixed alarm and a handheld leak locator, or go directly to the First Alert GCO1CN review if you already know you want a fixed, plug-in alarm.