For any suspected gas emergency or questions regarding a gas odor or carbon monoxide, please call us immediately at 1-800-411-7343.
The following may be signs of a gas leak:
- Distinctive odor of natural gas
- Damaged connection to a gas appliance
- Hissing, whistling or roaring sound near a gas appliance or pipeline
- Dead or dying vegetation in an otherwise moist area over or near pipelines
- Fire or explosion near pipeline
- Dirt or water being thrown into the air
- Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster
Do not rely on the smell of gas alone to detect a gas leak, as the odor can fade, diminish or be masked.
What to do if you suspect a leak:
- Remain calm.
- Do not light a match, lighter, candle, cigarette or any other flame.
- Do not turn on or off any appliances or electricity.
- From a safe location call us at 1-800-411-7343, or call 911.
About the Distinctive Odor of Natural Gas Do not rely on your sense of smell alone.
Although we add a distinctive odor to natural gas to aid in the detection of leaks, you should not rely on your sense of smell alone to determine if you have a gas leak.
- Diminished sense of smell. Some persons may not be able to smell the odor because they have a diminished sense of smell.
- Odor masking. Sometimes the odor is masked by other odors in the area.
- Fading or loss of odorant. Certain conditions, such as odor fade (loss of odorant) may cause the odor to diminish so that it is not detectible.
About Odor Fade (loss of odorant) Odor fade or loss of odor can cause the odorant we put in the gas to diminish so that you can't smell it. Do not rely on your sense of smell only to detect the presence of natural gas.
Causes of Odor Fade
- Odor fade is caused by physical and chemical processes. Other factors that may cause odor fade include:
- Construction and configuration of the customer’s gas facilities.
- Presence of rust, moisture, liquids or other substances in the pipe.
- Gas composition, pressure and flow.
- Intermittent, little or no gas flow over an extended period that normally lasts until gas flow increases or becomes more frequent.
- New pipe installations.
- Steel and larger pipes.
- Soil.
If you have additional questions or concerns regarding odor fade, call SDG&E at 1-800-411-7343 or contact a licensed, qualified professional. You can also refer to the Odor Fade Safety Bulletin (pdf).
