Home / Services / Gas Line Leak Detection
Gas line leak detection, after the utility makes it safe
Gas Line Leak Detection in Pennsylvania
If you smell gas right now, stop reading. Leave the building, then call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Once the utility has made the site safe and shut off or tagged your piping, a local technician locates the leak on your side of the meter so a qualified plumber can repair it.
- Smell gas: leave first, then call 911 or the utility from outside
- Customer-owned piping after the meter, indoor and buried, located for repair
- Failed pressure tests and red-tagged lines traced to the leak point
Calls answered day and night. Emergency? Shut off your main valve first, then call.
Quick answer
What do I do if I smell gas in my Pennsylvania home?
Leave the building right away without touching light switches, phones or appliances. From a safe distance outside, call 911 or your gas utility emergency line: PECO 800-841-4141, PGW 215-235-1212, UGI 800-276-2722, Columbia Gas 1-888-460-4332 or Peoples 1-800-400-4271. Do not go back in until they say it is safe.
Safety first: what to do if you smell gas
Leave the house immediately, warn others, and call 911 or your gas utility from outside, well away from the building. Do not try to find the leak, operate switches or valves, or start a car. The utility responds to gas odor calls; we come after it is safe.
Smell gas? Leave now.
- Get everyone out, including pets. UGI advises getting about the length of a football field away.
- Do not flip light switches, use phones or create sparks inside.
- Do not try to locate the leak or operate valves.
- Do not start a car or open an automatic garage door nearby.
- From outside, call 911 or your gas utility emergency line.
| Gas utility | 24/7 emergency number |
|---|---|
| PECO | 800-841-4141 |
| Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) | 215-235-1212 |
| UGI | 800-276-2722 |
| Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania | 1-888-460-4332 |
| Peoples Gas | 1-800-400-4271 |
Numbers from UGI, Peoples, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, PGW and the Philadelphia Inquirer on PECO. UGI says it does not charge to respond to a gas odor.
Pennsylvania Leak Detection is not an emergency gas responder. Our role starts after the utility has responded, made the site safe and handed responsibility for your piping back to you.
What gas line leak detection is and when you need it
Gas line leak detection locates a leak in the customer-owned gas piping after the meter: the lines that run through your basement, walls and yard to the furnace, water heater, range, dryer, grill or pool heater. You need it after a red tag, a failed pressure test or a confirmed small leak.
When a utility finds a leak on your side of the meter, it typically shuts off or tags the affected piping and tells you to have it repaired. Peoples explains that a red tag means a dangerous piping or appliance problem that a qualified person must fix before gas is restored.
That is where a leak location visit helps. Rather than replacing every foot of pipe, the technician finds the exact joint, valve or buried section that leaks, so the plumber repairs that point and the line can pass its pressure test.
Common reasons to call include a failed pressure test on a renovation, a red-tagged appliance line, a buried line to a detached garage or pool heater, or a faint odor that the utility traced to house piping.
Who owns which gas pipe
Federal pipeline rules require gas operators that do not maintain customer-owned buried piping to tell customers so in writing. In practice, the utility usually maintains the main, service line and meter, and the customer owns the house piping after the meter, including buried lines to outbuildings.
Under 49 CFR 192.16, an operator that does not maintain a customer’s buried piping must notify the customer that the piping can corrode and leak if not maintained, should be inspected periodically for leaks and for corrosion if metallic, and should be located before any digging, with excavation done by hand near it. The rule notes that plumbing and heating contractors can help.
| Section | Typically maintained by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas main in the street | Utility | Report odors to the utility |
| Service line to the meter | Utility | Some utilities offer an excess flow valve on request |
| Meter and regulator | Utility | Keep the area clear |
| House piping after the meter | Customer | Indoor black iron, CSST, copper or plastic |
| Buried line to garage, grill, pool heater | Customer | Most likely to be forgotten and corroded |
Confirm the exact boundary with your own utility. UGI notes it can install an excess flow valve on a service line, and customers without one can request it.
Warning signs of a gas leak
The main sign is a rotten egg or sulfur smell, which comes from an odorant added to natural gas. Others include hissing near a gas line, a strip of dead or brown grass over a buried line, and bubbles in standing water over a pipe route. Any of these means leave and call.
Smell
Natural gas has no odor of its own. Utilities add mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs, according to UGI.
Sight
Peoples lists a line of brown, dry grass in an otherwise moist area as a warning sign of a buried leak.
Sound
A hiss near a meter, appliance connector or pipe is a reason to leave and call.
Symptoms
Headache, dizziness or nausea indoors can mean a gas or carbon monoxide problem. Get out and call 911.
Peoples also recommends installing and testing carbon monoxide detectors, and keeping the meter area clear of debris.
Why gas piping leaks in Pennsylvania homes
A large share of Pennsylvania homes are old, so a lot of house gas piping is decades old. Buried steel lines corrode, threaded joints loosen with vibration and settling, appliance connectors age, and renovation work disturbs old piping.
About a quarter of occupied Pennsylvania homes predate 1940, per PHFA figures reported by Pennsylvania Realtors. Older houses often have long runs of threaded black iron with many joints, and every joint is a possible leak point.
- Buried steel to detached garages and outbuildings corrodes in wet soil, exactly what 49 CFR 192.16 warns about
- Basement settlement and freeze-thaw movement stress threaded joints
- Old flexible appliance connectors crack with age
- Renovations and new appliances add joints that may not be tight
- Digging without a locate can nick buried lines; PA811 requires notice at least three business days ahead
Older suburbs like Abington and Norristown, and the hillside towns around West Mifflin, have plenty of decades-old house piping.
How the technician locates a customer-side gas leak, step by step
After the utility has made the site safe, the technician pressure tests the customer piping on air or an inert gas, isolates sections to find which one drops, then uses electronic gas detectors and leak solution on joints, and a pipe locator and probe for buried lines.
1
Confirm it is safe
The technician checks that the utility has responded and the piping is shut off or tagged. No work starts during an active emergency.
2
Pressure test
The house piping is tested with a gauge. A drop over the test period confirms a leak somewhere in the system.
3
Section isolation
Appliance valves and caps split the system so each branch is tested alone. The branch that drops is the target.
4
Pinpoint
Electronic combustible gas detectors and leak detection solution find the joint or fitting. Buried lines are traced and probed at the surface.
Equipment and why it is used
| Tool | Why it is used |
|---|---|
| Pressure gauge (manometer) | Shows whether the piping holds pressure and how fast it drops |
| Combustible gas detector | Sniffs tiny gas traces at joints, valves and connectors |
| Leak detection solution | Bubbles at the exact threaded joint or fitting that leaks |
| Pipe and cable locator | Traces buried metal gas lines or tracer wire to outbuildings |
| Bar hole probe and sampler | Samples soil air along a buried line to find the strongest reading |
Repairs to gas piping must be done by a qualified gas plumber or heating contractor who meets local licensing rules, and the utility or local code official may need to see a passing pressure test before gas is restored.
What the written report contains
The report states the date, confirms the utility’s tag or shutoff, records the pressure test results for the whole system and each branch, identifies the leak point and its location, and notes the pipe material and any corrosion. Your plumber uses it to repair and retest.
- Utility tag or shutoff details as found
- Test pressure, duration and readings for each section
- Leak point: joint, valve, connector or buried section
- Location on a sketch or measured from fixed points
- Pipe material and visible corrosion or damage
- Notes for the repair plumber and retest
Repair options after a gas leak is found
Most indoor leaks are fixed by remaking or replacing a joint, valve or appliance connector. Buried line leaks are dug and repaired or the line is replaced with new pipe, often plastic gas pipe rated for burial. All repairs need a pressure retest.
| Repair | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Remake or replace a fitting | Small, fast repair | Old joints nearby may follow |
| Replace appliance connector | Simple and low cost | Only fixes the connector |
| Replace a section of indoor pipe | Removes damaged pipe | Wall or ceiling access may be needed |
| Replace a buried line | Ends corrosion on that run | Digging; PA811 notice needed |
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license, according to PA Labor and Industry, so check local licensing. Contractors doing more than $5,000 a year of home improvement work must register under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act.
Cost factors for gas leak location
Pennsylvania Leak Detection does not publish prices; the job is quoted on the phone. What moves the cost is how much piping there is, whether the leak is indoor or buried, how many sections need testing and access to the pipe.
- Length of piping and number of appliances
- Indoor joints versus a buried line to an outbuilding
- Access through finished ceilings and walls
- Whether the utility or code official requires a specific retest
Our leak detection cost guide covers water leak costs; gas jobs are priced separately.
Insurance and utility notes
The gas utility typically responds to odor calls at no charge, but repairs on customer piping are the owner’s cost. Homeowners policies vary on gas line repair and some utilities and insurers sell service line coverage. Ask your agent.
UGI says there is no charge to respond to and investigate a gas odor. After that, Peoples notes, the customer must have a qualified person fix any red-tagged piping before gas is restored. Coverage for sudden damage versus wear varies by policy, as Nationwide explains for water damage.
DIY checks: what is and is not safe
If you smell gas, the only DIY step is to leave and call. Without an odor, you can safely check that appliance connectors are not kinked, keep the meter clear, test your carbon monoxide alarms and call 811 before digging.
- Never search for a gas leak with a flame.
- Do not spray soap on piping while you smell gas; leave instead.
- Test carbon monoxide detectors monthly.
- Keep the meter area clear and never tie pets to it.
- Call 811 at least three business days before digging, per PA One Call.
We also handle water: if you are dealing with a wet basement or buried line, see water service line leak detection, slab leak detection, hidden wall and ceiling leak detection or commercial and multifamily leak detection. Leaking pipes of any kind can also undermine soil, and PA DEP lists leaking water and sewer pipes as a cause of sinkholes.
Where We Offer Gas Line Leak Detection in Pennsylvania
Gas Line Leak Detection is available in all 41 communities below and anywhere else in Pennsylvania. Choose your town to see its water supplier, who owns the service line, and the leak risks local technicians see most often there.
Not sure which page covers you? See all Pennsylvania service areas or call (833) 768-3032.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if I smell gas?
Leave the building immediately, then call 911 or your gas utility from a safe distance outside.
Will Pennsylvania Leak Detection come out for a gas emergency?
No. Gas odor emergencies go to 911 and the gas utility. We locate customer-side leaks after the utility has made the site safe.
Who owns the gas pipe in my yard?
Usually the utility maintains the service line to the meter and you own the piping after it, including buried lines to outbuildings. Confirm with your utility.
What is a red tag?
Peoples describes it as a sign of a dangerous piping or appliance problem that a qualified person must fix before gas is restored.
Does the gas company charge to check a gas smell?
UGI says there is no charge to respond to and investigate a gas odor.
Why does natural gas smell like rotten eggs?
Utilities add an odorant called mercaptan, since natural gas has no smell of its own.
Can a buried gas line leak without a smell inside?
Yes. A strip of dead grass over the line, which Peoples lists as a sign, may be the only clue.
Should I open windows if I smell gas?
Peoples advises against opening windows. Leave and call instead.
Who can repair a gas leak?
A qualified gas plumber or heating contractor who meets your local licensing rules.
Do I need to call 811 for gas line repair?
Yes, anyone digging must notify PA811 at least three business days ahead.
Hearing Water You Cannot See? Call Now.
A rising water bill, a wet basement wall or a soggy strip of lawn will not fix itself. Call any hour and we will help you find the leak, prove it and keep the repair as small as possible.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sources
- eCFR: 49 CFR 192.16 Customer Notification
- UGI: Natural Gas Safety
- Peoples Gas: Safety
- Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania: Safety
- Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania: Work in Your Neighborhood
- PGW: Contact Us
- Philadelphia Inquirer: How to Report a Gas Leak
- PA PUC: PA One Call
- Pennsylvania Realtors: Housing Stock Aging
- PA Labor and Industry: Contractor Licensing
- PA Attorney General: HIC Application Instructions
- Nationwide: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage
- PA DEP: What Causes a Sinkhole
Pennsylvania Leak Detection is a leak detection referral service. Calls connect you with an independent local leak detection professional. Figures and utility policies were checked in October 2026 and can change; confirm with your utility.