Who should you call?
| Situation | Best next step |
|---|---|
| Natural-gas odor, hissing, or suspected active natural-gas leak | Leave immediately. From a safe location call your natural-gas utility or 911. Do not call Pinnacle first. |
| Propane odor, hissing, or suspected active propane leak | Leave immediately. From a safe location call your propane supplier. If you cannot reach them, call 911 or your local fire department. Do not call Pinnacle first. |
| CO alarm sounds or someone has possible CO symptoms | Get everyone outside into fresh air and call 911 or the fire department from outside. |
| Damaged meter, utility service or supplier-owned equipment | Contact the natural-gas utility or propane supplier. |
| Planning excavation, trenching, fencing or digging | Contact 811 before digging and follow the locate instructions. |
| No active gas odor; you want the customer-side system evaluated | Schedule a qualified fuel-gas contractor or appropriate service professional. |
| Fireplace or appliance will not operate but there is no gas odor | Use only owner-level checks allowed by the manual or schedule service. |
Natural gas and propane are different systems
Both fuels require respect for leakage, ignition sources, pressure, appliance configuration and ventilation, but the supply equipment and ownership boundaries can differ. Natural-gas utilities commonly own or control part of the service infrastructure. Propane systems can include customer or supplier-owned tanks, regulators and piping. If you are unsure what equipment belongs to whom, ask the utility or propane supplier before disconnecting, modifying or restoring service.
Do not turn gas back on just because the leak seems to be gone
If a gas system or appliance has been intentionally shut off because of leakage or an unsafe condition, the underlying problem should be corrected and the affected system checked before it is returned to service. A contractor, gas utility, propane supplier or authority may have additional restart requirements depending on the situation.
Carbon monoxide is different from a gas odor
Carbon monoxide has no useful warning odor. A functioning CO alarm is an important layer of protection around fuel-burning appliances. If an alarm sounds or people have symptoms consistent with possible CO exposure, treat it as an emergency: get outside and call 911. Do not stay inside trying to determine which appliance caused it.
Before digging: call 811
Outdoor projects can damage buried utilities. Contact 811 before digging and wait for required utility markings. Private fuel lines, such as lines to grills, pool heaters, detached buildings or other appliances, may not be marked by the public locate process and can require a separate private-locate or contractor evaluation.
Gas appliances and fireplaces
Owner-level maintenance should follow the manufacturer instructions. Do not bypass safety devices, substitute unapproved controls, alter regulators or pressure settings, or treat a working flame as proof that the entire installation is safe. Fireplace remotes, pilot systems and ignition modules can create operational problems that are not necessarily gas-leak emergencies, but active gas odor changes the situation immediately.
When a scheduled gas-system evaluation makes sense
If there is no active emergency, a homeowner, buyer, seller or property professional may want a deliberate evaluation of customer-side piping and connected appliances. Pinnacle offers a paid, scheduled Gas System Testing & Appliance Evaluation service for that purpose.
After the emergency: Pinnacle follow-up is local and scheduled
Pinnacle is not an emergency gas-leak response service. If an emergency has already been addressed, the property has been made safe, and non-emergency fuel-piping, gas-appliance, fireplace or gas-system testing work is still needed, Pinnacle may be able to schedule follow-up within our service area.
Outside Pinnacle's service area, do not call Pinnacle for follow-up. Contact your gas utility or propane provider as appropriate, or use a qualified local fuel-gas professional in your area. See Pinnacle's service-area information.
About this guide
This guide is general safety education. It does not replace emergency responders, your gas utility or propane supplier, manufacturer instructions, adopted code, permit/inspection requirements or the authority having jurisdiction. Conditions vary, and fuel-gas work should be evaluated by an appropriately qualified professional.