Gas safety guide

Smell gas near your stove? What to do

If you smell gas and it is more than a brief whiff as a burner lights, leave now. Do not flip switches, use a phone inside or light anything. Once you are outside and away from the home, call 911 or your gas utility’s emergency line. Do not go back in until they say it is safe.

Steps taken from PHMSA, PG&E, SoCalGas and National Grid. Updated October 19, 2026.

What should you do if you smell gas from your stove?

Get everyone out of the home now. On the way out, do not turn lights or other switches on or off, do not use a phone and do not light anything. Once you are well away from the home, call 911 or your gas utility’s emergency line. Stay out until the utility or the fire department says it is safe.

Get everyone out. PG&E says: "If you smell natural gas or suspect an emergency, leave the area now and call 9-1-1." National Grid says all occupants should leave the house or building immediately.
Make no sparks or flames on the way. PHMSA, the federal pipeline safety agency, says not to turn light switches, garage door openers or other switches on or off. Do not use a phone. Do not strike a match or start an engine. PHMSA says these can ignite gas in the air.
Call from a safe place. PHMSA says to call 911 from a neighbor's house or another spot well away from the leak. SoCalGas says to evacuate immediately and call it from a safe location, and to call 911 if the leak may endanger life or property. PG&E says to call 911 first, then PG&E.
Warn others, if it is safe. PHMSA says to keep others from entering the area or making sparks.
Stay out. National Grid says not to return until it tells you it is safe.

Find your utility's gas emergency number now and save it in your phone. For a propane tank, your gas supplier is your propane company. If you cannot reach your supplier, call 911.

Is it normal to smell gas when you light a gas stove?

A slight smell for a moment, as a burner lights, can be normal. KitchenAid says it is normal to sometimes smell a slight odor of gas when using its gas cooktop. GE says a gas oven can give off an odd odor when it first starts, which fades within a few minutes. GE also says it is not normal to smell unburned gas in your home.

The two smells are different. GE says unburned gas smells completely different from burning gas. Some people compare it to rotten eggs. Sources: KitchenAid and GE Appliances.

Usually normal:

· A slight whiff for a moment as a burner catches.
· A smell from a gas oven when it first starts, which fades within a few minutes.
· Smoke or odor from a new range or oven in its first few uses. New parts and a protective oil coating are heating up (Whirlpool).
· Odd smells after fresh paint or stain nearby. KitchenAid says those fumes can react with burner flames.

Not normal:

· A rotten-egg smell that stays after the flame is lit.
· Any gas smell with every burner and the oven off.
· A hissing or whistling sound from the stove or its gas line.

Why does my gas stove smell like gas when it is off?

Gas is getting out somewhere. A knob may have been turned on by accident, so gas flows with no flame. A flame may have gone out. A fitting behind the stove may be leaking. If the smell is strong, or you hear hissing, leave now and call from outside. Do not stop to look for the cause.

PHMSA's checklist includes making sure gas appliances are turned all the way off. KitchenAid tells owners who smell gas to check that no burner was turned on by accident. So if the smell is faint and a knob is plainly on with no flame, that is the first thing to check. If no burner is on, KitchenAid says not to light any appliance or touch electrical switches. Do not use a phone in the building. Call your gas supplier from a neighbor's phone.

Common causes

· A burner left on without a flame. Front knobs can be turned by a bump or a pet. CPSC recalled one line of gas ranges in July 2026 because its front knobs could be turned on by accident. Our guide to stove knob covers covers ways to prevent that.
· A flame that went out. A draft or a pot boiling over can put out a burner. One maker's manual covers this case. If a burner goes out and gas escapes, it says to open windows and doors and wait for the gas to clear before cooking again. Some cooktops relight the burner by themselves and shut off the gas if they cannot.
· A burner that lights poorly. KitchenAid says a burner cap must sit flat on the burner base to light properly, and that a clean cap helps avoid poor ignition.
· A loose or old connection. The same manual says that if connections are not perfectly tight, a small leak and a faint smell can result. CPSC warns that some older uncoated brass connectors can come apart and cause a serious leak. It says only a qualified professional should check or replace one, and not to move the stove to look (CPSC).

Why does my gas oven smell like gas?

A short smell as the oven lights is common. GE says the odor comes from gas burning at the burner and goes away within a few minutes as the oven heats. A new oven can also smell for its first few uses. A rotten-egg smell that does not fade, or any gas smell with the oven off, is not normal. Leave and call from outside.

Two more points. If the oven makes a boom or the door blows open as it lights, GE calls that delayed ignition. Contact service (GE Appliances). And do not line the bottom of a gas oven with aluminum foil. CPSC warns against it, and one maker says it blocks air flow and may cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

What should you not do if you smell gas?

· Do not turn lights, appliances or other switches on or off, including a garage door opener.
· Do not use a phone inside the home. Call once you are outside and away.
· Do not light a match, a candle or a cigarette, or make any other flame.
· Do not start a car or any other engine nearby.
· Do not hunt for the leak or try to fix it. SoCalGas says not to try to control a leak or repair a pipe or meter.
· Do not move the stove to look at the gas connector behind it.
· Do not go back inside until the utility or the fire department says it is safe.

These come from PHMSA, SoCalGas, National Grid and CPSC. As one cooktop maker puts it, finding a gas leak is not a do-it-yourself job.

Can you trust your nose to find a gas leak?

Mostly, but not always. Natural gas has no smell of its own. Utilities add an odorant that smells like rotten eggs. But the odor can fade, and a cold, allergies, some medicines or getting used to a smell can dull your nose. Treat a hissing sound near a gas line or appliance as a warning too.

The smell is there on purpose. A federal rule, 49 CFR 192.625, requires gas in distribution lines to be odorized. A person with a normal sense of smell must be able to detect it at one-fifth of the lowest concentration in air that can ignite.

But SoCalGas warns that the odorant can fade. A weak sense of smell, odor fatigue, colds, allergies, some medicines, tobacco and alcohol can all hide it, and other odors can mask it. SoCalGas says not to rely only on your nose. PG&E lists a hissing or whistling sound from a gas appliance as another sign of a leak.

Will a carbon monoxide alarm detect a gas leak?

No. A carbon monoxide alarm senses carbon monoxide, a poison made when fuel burns incompletely. Enbridge Gas says a carbon monoxide alarm does not detect a natural gas leak. Gas leaking from an unlit burner is natural gas, which is a different gas. To sense it, you need a separate natural gas alarm, also called a methane or explosive gas alarm.

You still need a CO alarm if you have gas appliances. NFPA says carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas made when fuels such as natural gas burn incompletely. Heating and cooking equipment can be sources (NFPA). CDC says more than 400 Americans die each year from CO poisoning not linked to fires, and more than 100,000 visit an emergency department. Common signs are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

· Put CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas, and choose one that meets UL 2034 (CPSC).
· CPSC does not recommend putting a CO alarm in the kitchen or above a fuel-burning appliance.
· Never use a gas range or oven to heat your home.
· If a CO alarm sounds, get to fresh air right away and call 911 from there.

Should you get a natural gas alarm?

It adds a layer of warning if you cook with gas. Look for an alarm listed to UL 1484, the U.S. safety standard for home gas alarms. Some units combine a gas sensor and a CO sensor and are listed to both UL 1484 and UL 2034. An alarm helps, but a smell of gas still means leave.

Where you put it matters, so follow the maker's instructions. New York City's rules give one example. They require natural gas alarms listed to UL 1484 and installed under NFPA 715. The alarm goes in the same room as the gas appliance, 3 to 10 feet from it. Combination units exist too. One maker's spec sheet lists both UL 1484 and UL 2034. Check the label for both numbers before you buy. The current 6th edition of UL 1484 came out on April 28, 2025.

Where Stovyn fits

We make Stovyn, a stove monitor. It does not detect natural gas or carbon monoxide, and it cannot warn you about a gas leak. Its thermal sensor reads the heat of each burner. A burner that is turned on but not lit gives off no heat, so Stovyn cannot see it. What it does catch is a lit burner left on. It beeps at the stove, then alerts your phone, then texts the people you chose if nobody responds. Keep a CO alarm, and consider a natural gas alarm, whether or not you buy Stovyn. Stovyn Standard is $99 and Pro is $199. It is a pre-order and ships December 20, 2026.

See Stovyn Stove fire prevention

Frequently asked questions

Is a faint smell of gas near the stove dangerous?

It can be. SoCalGas says to leave and call from a safe place if you smell natural gas or suspect a leak. The common exception is a brief whiff as a burner lights. If a faint smell stays with every knob off, leave and call your gas utility from outside.

Should I open the windows if I smell gas?

If the smell is strong, do not stop to open them. Get out. Some appliance manuals list opening windows as a first step, but PHMSA and the gas utilities we checked put leaving first. Enbridge Gas says to keep doors and windows open behind you only if you can leave safely without delay.

Should I turn off the gas at the meter?

Get out first, and follow your utility’s instructions. SoCalGas says not to try to control a leak or repair a pipe or meter yourself. PG&E says to know where your gas valves are and how to turn gas off. If you do shut it off, PG&E must turn it back on.

What does a gas leak smell like?

Most people describe it as rotten eggs or sulfur. Natural gas itself has no smell. National Grid says a strong odor similar to rotten eggs is added so you can detect a leak fast.

Can a gas stove cause carbon monoxide poisoning?

It can. CPSC says never to use a gas range or oven to heat your home. It also says not to cover the bottom of a gas oven with aluminum foil. One stove maker notes that cooking with gas can release small amounts of carbon monoxide. Put CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas.

Does Stovyn detect gas leaks or carbon monoxide?

No. Stovyn does not detect natural gas or carbon monoxide. Its thermal sensor reads the heat of each burner. A burner that is turned on but not lit gives off no heat, so Stovyn cannot see it. Keep a CO alarm, and consider a natural gas alarm, whether or not you use Stovyn.

Sources

All links checked October 19, 2026.

This page is informational. In an emergency, follow the instructions of 911 and your gas utility. We have no affiliation with the utilities or appliance makers named here, and their names are trademarks of their owners. Stovyn is a monitoring device, not a certified safety device. It does not detect gas or carbon monoxide and does not replace smoke alarms, CO alarms or gas alarms.

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