Yes, our licensed technicians locate and repair gas leaks. But if you smell gas right now, stop reading and leave the building — call New Mexico Gas Company or 911 from outside first, then call us for the repair.
If You Smell Gas — Do This First
- Get everyone and any pets outside immediately.
- Do not touch light switches, appliances, thermostats, or garage door openers. A spark is all it takes.
- Do not use your phone inside. Call from outside or a neighbor’s.
- Do not light anything or start a vehicle in an attached garage.
- Call the gas utility or 911 first, then call us.
- Do not go back in until the utility or fire department clears it.
The Warning Signs
- Rotten egg or sulfur smell — the odorant added to natural gas
- Hissing near a gas line, appliance connection, or meter
- A pilot light that will not stay lit, or repeated ignition failures
- Yellow or flickering flame instead of steady blue on a burner
- Soot or scorching around an appliance or its vent
- Dead or dying vegetation in a line over an underground gas line, with no other explanation
- Physical symptoms — headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue — that improve when you leave the house
How We Detect Leaks
Combustible gas detectors, electronic leak detection, pressure testing of the system, and soap solution testing at joints and connections. We test the full gas line system rather than just the spot you noticed, because a system with one bad connection often has others of the same age.
Carbon Monoxide Is the Related Danger
A gas leak you can smell. Carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion or a blocked flue you cannot — it is odorless and its symptoms mimic the flu. Working CO detectors on every level are essential in any home with gas appliances. If one sounds, everyone goes outside and you call 911.
Prevention
Annual inspection of gas appliances and connections, which is part of our plumbing inspection and furnace maintenance visits.
Contact B. Carlson — 24/7 emergency service across the metro.
