How to Tell If You Have a Gas Leak: Signs + Safety Steps for Melbourne Homes

A gas leak is one of the most serious household hazards. The challenge is that gas leaks aren’t always obvious — they don’t always smell strongly, and some occur underground or inside walls where you can’t see them. Knowing all the signs of a gas leak could be life-saving.

Signs of a Gas Leak Inside Your Home

• Smell of rotten eggs or sulphur. This is the most recognisable sign. Natural gas is odourless, but mercaptan (a sulphur compound) is added specifically so you can detect it. Even a faint smell warrants immediate action.
• Hissing or whistling sound near a gas appliance, flexible hose, regulator, or gas meter.
• Appliance pilot lights going out repeatedly or gas flames appearing yellow or orange instead of the normal blue.
• Physical symptoms — Headache, nausea, dizziness, or fatigue when you’re inside that improve when you go outside. These indicate carbon monoxide exposure from incomplete combustion, which can accompany a leak.
• Condensation on windows near gas appliances — Can indicate incomplete combustion.

Signs of a Gas Leak Outside

• Dead or dying vegetation in one patch of your lawn or garden for no apparent reason. Underground gas leaks displace oxygen from the soil, killing plant roots.
• Bubbling in puddles or wet soil near gas pipes, meters, or risers after rain.
• Dirt or dust blowing upward from the ground in a dry patch near a gas line.
• Hissing sound outside near your gas meter, service line, or where the gas enters the building.

What to Do If You Suspect a Gas Leak

1. Stop what you’re doing immediately. Don’t turn any switches on or off. Don’t use your phone inside. Don’t press a button, touch an appliance, or start a car in an attached garage.
2. Leave the property immediately with everyone inside — people and pets. Don’t stop for belongings.
3. Turn off the gas at the meter if it’s safely accessible without entering the building.
4. Call from outside — Call a licensed gas fitter on 0468 013 012 or the gas emergency line on 1800 427 532.
5. Don’t re-enter until a licensed gas fitter has inspected and cleared the property.

Situations That Are NOT a Gas Emergency (But Still Need Attention)

If you notice a very faint gas smell that comes and goes near a specific appliance, and you have no other symptoms, it could be a minor fitting issue rather than an active leak. You should still call a licensed gas fitter for an inspection — don’t ignore it — but it may not require immediate evacuation if you’re confident the smell is very faint and localized.

When in doubt, treat it as an emergency. It’s always better to evacuate unnecessarily than to stay in a property with a gas leak.