Smell of gas near a stove, oven or dryer
A rotten-egg or sulphur smell near a stove, oven or dryer can mean unburned gas, so leave the building and call your gas utility's emergency line from outside before doing anything else.
Urgent A smell of gas can mean a leak that could ignite, so leave first and let the gas utility decide when it's safe to go back in.
What this symptom usually means
A rotten-egg or sulphur smell near a stove, oven or dryer can mean unburned gas, so leave the building and call your gas utility's emergency line from outside before doing anything else. Natural gas has no smell of its own; Énergir explains that an odorant, mercaptan, is added so leaks can be noticed. Enbridge Gas lists the signs of a leak as a rotten egg or sulphur-like odour, damaged connections to gas appliances, a hissing or whistling noise, and vegetation dying for no reason. Enbridge also points out that a carbon monoxide alarm will not detect a natural gas leak, so a silent CO alarm doesn't mean there's no gas.
Not every smell from a gas appliance is a leak. GE says a gas oven can give off a brief, unusual odour as it first lights, which fades within a few minutes as it heats. The City of Gatineau notes that gas appliances working properly give off no odour. The difference between a start-up whiff and a leak is not something to test at home: if it smells of rotten eggs, or you're not sure, treat it as gas. Who to call depends on where you are. In Ottawa it's Enbridge Gas, 1-866-763-5427, or 911. In Gatineau it's Enbridge Gaz Québec, 819 771-8321, option 1, or 911. If your gas account is with Énergir, Énergir says to call 911, or 1 800 361-8003 where 911 isn't available. RepairWell is not an emergency gas service; the utility comes first, and we come after it has confirmed the building is safe.
Checks you can do yourself
- Leave nowGet everyone, including pets, out of the building. Enbridge Gas says to go outside or leave the area immediately. Enbridge Gaz Québec says that with a strong odour or a whistling sound you should evacuate all occupants and pets and, if possible, leave the door open behind you to air out the house.
- Don't touch anything that can sparkDon't switch lights, appliances or fans on or off, don't use a phone inside, don't smoke or light anything, and don't start a car in an attached garage. Enbridge Gas and Enbridge Gaz Québec both list these precautions.
- Call from outsideIn Ottawa, call Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427, or 911. In Gatineau, call Enbridge Gaz Québec at 819 771-8321, option 1, or 911. If your gas comes from Énergir, call 911, or 1 800 361-8003 where 911 isn't available. For propane, call 911 and your propane supplier. Enbridge Gas says never assume someone else has already called.
- A faint smell still countsEnbridge Gaz Québec says that even a very faint odour from an appliance calls for opening windows and doors and phoning its emergency line right away. The utility decides whether it's a leak. It also says there's no charge for a safety inspection after you report a suspected gas odour.
- Wait to be told it's safeDon't go back in until the utility or the fire service says so. If they shut off or tag an appliance, leave it off until it has been repaired. Don't try to turn the gas back on yourself.
- Know what normal smells likeGE says a gas oven can give off a brief odour as it first lights, which fades within a few minutes. A rotten-egg or sulphur smell, a smell that lingers, or one with the burners off is not normal.
- Afterwards: alarmsKeep working carbon monoxide alarms, and know their limit: Enbridge Gas says a carbon monoxide alarm will not detect a natural gas leak.
Nothing above involves gas, wiring, refrigerant or removing panels.
What you notice, and what it can point to
Listed in no particular order. They help you describe the problem; only an inspection confirms the fault.
Rotten-egg or sulphur smell anywhere in the house
Could point to: Possible natural gas leak (Enbridge Gas)
Next step: Leave, then call the utility or 911 from outside
Brief odour as a gas oven first lights, gone in minutes
Could point to: Normal start-up odour (GE)
Next step: No action, unless it smells of rotten eggs or lingers
Hissing or whistling near a connector or the meter
Could point to: Gas escaping (Enbridge Gas, Enbridge Gaz Québec)
Next step: Leave and call from outside
Faint smell only near one appliance
Could point to: Possible small leak at the appliance or connector
Next step: Open windows and doors, call the utility's emergency line (Enbridge Gaz Québec)
Smell after moving a range or dryer
Could point to: Connector strained or loosened
Next step: Leave and call; afterwards, have the connection checked
CO alarm sounding, no gas smell
Could point to: Carbon monoxide, which has no smell (Enbridge Gaz Québec)
Next step: Get everyone outside and call 911
How it differs by design
- Gas ranges and cooktops: a knob bumped to On with no flame releases gas into the kitchen. Burners, valves and the flexible connector behind the range are the common appliance-side sources. Moving a range to clean behind it can strain the connector.
- Gas ovens: GE describes a short start-up odour as normal. An oven that takes a long time to light, lights with a whoomp, or leaves a smell that lingers is different and should be checked once the utility has cleared it.
- Gas dryers: have a burner, a gas valve and a connector behind the machine. A dryer pushed hard against the wall, or pulled out for cleaning, can strain that connector. Don't pull a gas dryer out to look behind it.
- Carbon monoxide is separate: Enbridge Gaz Québec describes carbon monoxide as colourless, odourless and tasteless, and lists gas stoves and dryers among possible sources. It needs a CO alarm; a gas leak needs your nose. Have both covered.
- Propane: appliances on propane smell similar when leaking. The same steps apply: leave, then call 911 and your propane supplier from outside.
What our technician checks
These need panels off, live electrical tests or a licensed trade, so they are left to the technician:
- Finding or fixing any gas leak, at the appliance, the connector or the house piping
- Turning the gas supply back on after the utility has shut it off, unless the utility tells you to
- Moving a gas range or dryer, or disconnecting its gas connector
- Any work on burners, igniters, valves, orifices or the gas connection (done by a certified gas contractor)
- Relighting pilots or adjusting flames and air shutters
Waived when you go ahead with the repair. You get the cause, the price and our repair-or-replace verdict in writing before any work.
Repairs a technician may recommend
After inspection, not from the symptom alone.
Appliance connector or shut-off valve
When the utility or gas contractor finds a leak at the flexible connector or the appliance shut-off, often after a range or dryer was moved. This is gas-connection work, done by the certified gas contractor we work with.
Oven igniter and safety valve
When a gas oven is slow to light, lights with a whoomp, or smells of gas at start-up. We test it; the igniter and valve work is done by the certified gas contractor we work with.
Surface burner valve or burner parts
When a cooktop burner leaks at its valve, or doesn't light cleanly and lets gas escape. Done by the certified gas contractor we work with.
Gas dryer valve and burner
When a gas dryer smells of gas, fails to light or cycles oddly. Done by the certified gas contractor we work with.
Diagnosis of a smell that isn't gas
When the utility found no leak but there's still an odour: burning dust, a new-oven smell or an electrical smell. See oven smoking or smelling of burning.
House piping and the meter
Leaks beyond the appliance connector, in the house gas piping or at the meter, are for the utility or a licensed gas fitter, not an appliance repair company.
Brands we see with this problem
Codes, parts and access differ by brand; the brand pages cover where the model label is and what to expect.
Cost, and whether to fix it
What the repair costs depends on the part, the labour and whether a second visit is needed for an ordered part; the written finding gives the total before any work. Our guides on what drives repair costs, stove & range repair costs and repair versus replacement explain how to weigh it.
When to book
Book only after the gas utility or the fire service has checked the building and said it is safe. RepairWell is not an emergency gas service and can't respond to a gas smell in place of the utility. Once it's cleared, tell us what the utility found, whether it shut off or tagged an appliance, and which appliance it was. We diagnose gas appliances. Burner, igniter, valve and gas-connection work is done by a certified gas contractor we work with, not by our own technicians. The diagnostic is $89, waived if you go ahead with the repair, and the written finding says what's wrong, what it costs and who does each part of the work. See stove and range repair, gas dryer repair or what counts as an appliance emergency. We serve Ottawa and Gatineau.
We handle this across Ottawa and Gatineau
Related problems
Smell of gas near a stove, oven or dryer: questions
What should I do if I smell gas near my stove?
Leave the building with everyone in it, without touching switches or appliances, and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. In Ottawa that's Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427; in Gatineau, Enbridge Gaz Québec at 819 771-8321, option 1.
Should I turn off the stove or open windows first?
Getting out comes first. Enbridge Gas says to leave immediately and not to turn appliances on or off. Enbridge Gaz Québec says to leave the door open behind you if possible. Don't stay inside to look for the source.
Is a small gas smell from the oven when it lights normal?
GE says a brief odour as the oven first lights is normal and fades within a few minutes. A rotten-egg smell, or one that lingers, is not. When in doubt, treat it as gas and call the utility.
Will my carbon monoxide alarm detect a gas leak?
No. Enbridge Gas says a carbon monoxide alarm will not detect a natural gas leak. The added odorant is the warning for gas; the CO alarm is a separate safeguard.
Can RepairWell come out for a gas leak?
No. The gas utility handles leaks and emergencies. Once it has cleared the building, we can diagnose the appliance; burner, igniter, valve and gas-connection work is done by a certified gas contractor we work with.
Does the gas company charge to check a gas smell?
In Gatineau, Enbridge Gaz Québec says there is no charge for a safety inspection after you report a suspected gas odour. Wherever you are, don't let cost stop you from calling.
Sources
- Enbridge Gas (Ontario): Smell natural gas?
- Enbridge Gaz Québec: Safety and prevention
- Ville de Gatineau: Natural gas installations
- Énergir: Contact us, emergency
- Énergir: Natural gas, a safe energy source (residential safety)
- GE Appliances: Gas range, gas odours
Sources checked 2026-09-24.
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- $89 diagnosticWaived when you go ahead with the repair
- Written finding on every visitCause, price and our repair-or-replace verdict
- 90-day warrantyOn labour and the parts we install