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If you smell gas right now, do not keep reading inside the house. Get everyone out first, then call from outside.
Short answer: Leave the house right away with everyone and every pet. Do not flip a switch, use a flame or start a car in the garage. From a safe distance outside, call your gas or propane company or 911. Call Ryan after that, for the repair.
Atlanta Gas Light tells customers to assume there is a leak and leave, and propane safety guidance says the same. If you have propane and can shut off the main valve on the tank without going near the leak, some suppliers say to close it by turning it clockwise. If you are not sure it is safe to reach, skip that step.
Natural gas and propane have no smell on their own. Companies add a strong odorant that smells like rotten eggs or sulfur so a leak is easy to notice. But not everyone notices it. A weak sense of smell, a cold, or strong cooking or cleaning smells can mask it. You can also stop noticing a smell you have been around for a while.
Propane is heavier than air and settles low, in basements, crawlspaces and low spots. That matters for mountain homes with crawlspaces and walkout basements. A faint smell near the floor is still a reason to act.
If you feel dizzy, get a headache, or feel sick and there is no obvious smell, think about carbon monoxide, which has no smell at all. Get to fresh air and call 911. The carbon monoxide and gas appliances guide explains the difference.
Safe outside and ready for the repair?
Once the gas company has cleared the house, call or text Ryan to find and repair the problem. He is a licensed Master Plumber and answers his own phone, day or night. Do not call him from inside the house while the smell is there.
The gas company or fire department will check the house and make it safe, which may include shutting off the gas. Do not turn the gas back on yourself if it was shut off for a safety problem. Propane guidance says the same thing: call the supplier, and a licensed plumber where one is required.
Once the house is cleared, the next question is where the smell came from. Common sources:
Ryan does gas leak detection and gas line installation and extension, for both propane and natural gas. He finds the leak, explains what he sees, and gives you a free estimate for the repair before any work starts. There is no trip fee and no diagnostic fee. The page on gas line installation covers the service in more detail.
Many homes around Ellijay and the nearby mountain towns use propane, since natural gas lines do not reach every road. Some homes use both, with a propane tank outside and a natural gas line elsewhere. Know which one you have. The number to call first is different: your natural gas utility for a gas meter, your propane supplier for a tank. Keep the number on the fridge or in your phone, since cell service can be weak and you do not want to look it up in an emergency.
Ryan prefers texts for a simple reason. He works in the mountains where cell service drops, so a text reaches him when a call may not. But for a gas smell, your first call goes to the gas company or 911, not to a plumber.
If the smell was near a water heater, it may also be a hot water problem. When the house is safe, no hot water at all covers the next steps for a gas tank that has gone cold.
"Ryan tells you what he is going to do, why he needs to do it and what it will cost. Then he shows up when he says he will, does the work correctly, neatly and quickly and bills with no surprises."
Lindy D., Feb 2025, Google review
Leave right away with everyone and every pet. Do not use switches, flames or anything that can spark. From a safe distance outside, call your gas or propane company, or 911.
Either one. Gas utilities and propane suppliers run 24-hour emergency lines. If you cannot reach them quickly, call 911. Call from outside, away from the smell.
No. Do not stop to look for the source. Leave first. Getting everyone out matters more than anything else.
Not until the gas company says it is safe. Propane guidance says never to turn gas back on after a safety shut-off. A licensed plumber or your propane company handles the repair and relighting.
Wind, temperature, and where the gas collects change how strong it smells. Propane settles low, so it may show up near the floor or in a basement. A smell that comes and goes is still a reason to call the gas company.
Ryan does gas leak detection and gas line repair and installation for propane and natural gas. For an active smell, call the gas company or 911 first, then call or text Ryan.
Call the gas company or 911 first, from outside. Then call or text Ryan. Free estimate, no trip fee, no diagnostic fee.