Gas Heater Emergency: What To Do (Adelaide Step-by-Step)

Published 3 May 2026 · Written by Sidney — Licensed Gas Fitter, Pilot Gas Adelaide · 8 min read

TL;DR: Gas emergency: turn off the heater, turn off the gas at the isolation valve, open windows, leave the house, ring the emergency gas line (1800 427 532) or 000 if there's fire or serious symptoms. Don't use electrical switches or flames. Don't re-enter until a licensed fitter has cleared the property.

This is a reference guide, not medical or safety advice. In any real emergency, protecting human life comes first — ring 000 immediately for fire, serious injury, or someone unconscious. Gas fitter calls come after everyone is safe.

Emergency numbers — save these now

• 000 — fire, ambulance, police. Use for fire, explosion, someone unconscious, serious injury.
• 1800 427 532 — SA gas emergency line (Australian Gas Networks). 24/7. Call for gas leaks, strong smell of gas, ruptured pipes.
• 0485 676 319 — Pilot Gas Adelaide, for heater repair and make-safe after the immediate emergency is handled.

Save all three in your phone now. Put a sticker on the fridge. Don't rely on memory during a panic.

Scenario 1: You smell gas (rotten eggs / sulphur)

Natural gas is odourless — the rotten egg smell comes from ethyl mercaptan added so you can detect leaks. If you smell it, there's a leak. It may be at the heater, at a pipework joint, at the meter, or at a neighbour's property venting into yours.

Steps

1. Don't flick any electrical switches. Lights, fans, power points — a spark can ignite gas.
2. Don't light matches, smoke, or use a lighter.
3. Don't use the phone inside the house. Mobile phones can spark. Leave the house first, then call.
4. Turn off the gas at the meter if you can do it safely. Meter valve is typically a quarter-turn — turn perpendicular to the pipe.
5. Turn off the heater isolation valve if the smell is at the heater.
6. Open doors and windows to ventilate.
7. Get everyone outside. Pets included.
8. Ring 1800 427 532 from outside. They will dispatch a gas network emergency response.
9. Don't go back inside until the leak is located and made safe.
10. Ring a licensed gas fitter (us or another) to repair the cause before the gas is turned back on.

Scenario 2: CO alarm sounding

A CO alarm doesn't go off for no reason. Treat every alarm as real until proven otherwise.

Steps

1. Turn the heater off at the thermostat and at the isolation valve.
2. Open doors and windows to ventilate.
3. Get everyone outside — especially anyone with symptoms.
4. If anyone has headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness or chest tightness — ring 000, tell them suspected CO exposure.
5. If no symptoms and the alarm stops after ventilating: still don't use the heater. Ring a licensed gas fitter to inspect before reuse.
6. Don't assume the alarm is faulty. Your alarm is cheaper than a funeral.

Full detail in our CO safety guide.

Scenario 3: Smoke or flames from the heater

Black smoke, visible flames outside the combustion chamber, glowing red panels, acrid smoke — all signs of an active fire risk.

Steps

1. Ring 000. Fire first, always.
2. Turn off the heater at its switch/thermostat if you can do it safely.
3. Turn off the gas isolation valve if you can reach it safely.
4. Get everyone out of the house. Close doors behind you to slow fire spread.
5. Do not try to fight a gas-fed fire with water. If it's small and you have a dry chemical (ABC) or CO2 extinguisher, you can try — but only if you're trained and it's safe.
6. Meet the fire brigade outside and tell them it's a gas appliance fire.

Scenario 4: Heater won't turn off

Stuck relay or control board failure can lead to a heater running continuously, overheating, or refusing to respond to the thermostat.

Steps

1. Turn off the power to the heater at the mains switch or circuit breaker.
2. Turn off the gas at the isolation valve.
3. Let it cool down.
4. Ring a licensed gas fitter for urgent repair. This is usually a control board or gas valve fault — not a DIY fix.

Scenario 5: Strange noises, flames, or behaviour

Not quite an emergency but needs urgent action:

• Loud bang on startup — delayed ignition. Can crack the heat exchanger. Turn off, book a fitter.
• Yellow or orange flame instead of blue — incomplete combustion, CO risk. Turn off, book a fitter.
• Screeching, grinding, or rattling from fan — fan motor failing. Turn off before it seizes entirely.
• Flame visible outside the burner compartment — flame roll-out. Serious. Turn off immediately. Do not use.
• Water or condensation inside the unit — flue problem. Turn off, book a fitter.

None of these require 000. All of them require "stop using it and ring a licensed fitter before you use it again."

Scenario 6: Someone in the house is symptomatic

Headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, unexplained tiredness — particularly when these ease outside the house.

Steps

1. Get the person outside immediately.
2. Ring 000 if they're confused, unable to walk, or losing consciousness.
3. Turn off the heater and gas.
4. Check everyone else in the house — pets too. CO affects small animals faster.
5. Open doors and windows.
6. Don't re-enter.
7. Ring a licensed fitter to inspect before anyone goes back in.
8. Mention suspected CO exposure to the paramedics — treatment is different from regular viral symptoms.

Where is the isolation valve?

Every gas heater has a manual isolation valve (also called a "gas cock") on the gas line just before the heater connects. In SA these are usually quarter-turn lever valves — when the lever is in line with the pipe, gas is ON; when it's perpendicular, gas is OFF.

Common locations:

• Ducted systems: near the heater unit in the roof, underfloor, or outside. Often visible beside the gas line entering the unit.
• Wall furnaces: behind or below the unit, accessible from outside or via an access panel.
• Space heaters (Rinnai, Cannon): usually on the gas line behind the unit, often on the external wall.

Find yours NOW, while there's no emergency. Show everyone in the household. Note it in your phone.

The main gas meter also has a shut-off valve — know where that is too. For SA guidance on gas emergencies, see the SA Department for Energy and Mining.

After the emergency — don't skip this

Once the immediate danger is handled:

1. Don't use the heater again until a licensed gas fitter has inspected and cleared it, even if "it seems fine now."
2. Get the cause diagnosed. A CO leak or gas leak is never random — there's a root cause. Find it.
3. Document everything for insurance — photos, paramedic reports, fitter reports.
4. If exposure was involved, get medical follow-up. CO can have lingering effects even after symptoms clear.
5. Fit a CO alarm if you didn't have one, or replace an older one. See our CO guide.

Prevention — none of this needed to happen

Almost every gas heater emergency I've seen in 12 years of fitting had warning signs the homeowner noticed and ignored. Yellow flames. Banging ignition. Soot marks. Headaches that eased outside. Higher gas bills.

A $240 service every 1–2 years is the single best way to prevent emergencies. See:

• 10 Signs Your Gas Heater Needs Repair — spot it early
• How Often to Service Your Heater — right frequency
• Adelaide Winter Checklist — seasonal habits

Emergency readiness checklist

Do this on a quiet afternoon, not during an emergency. Five minutes to prep:

• Locate the gas meter and its shut-off valve — know which direction is "off"
• Locate the heater isolation valve — practise turning it off and back on
• Save emergency numbers in your phone: 000, 1800 427 532, 0485 676 319
• Check your CO alarm is in place, within date, and the battery is good
• Walk the family through the plan: off, out, ring
• Know your nearest meeting point outside
• Check that all exit doors open easily from inside, even with kids or pets
• Keep a torch somewhere accessible (not in the garage)
• Have insurance policy details easily accessible — phone photo of the card is fine

Common mistakes during a gas emergency

• Flicking the lights on to "see what's happening" — electrical sparks in a gas-saturated room can ignite. Stay in the dark.
• Opening the heater to "check inside" — never during an emergency. Leave it to the gas network responders.
• Trying to fix it yourself after it's been made safe — unlicensed gas work is illegal and your insurance will decline any claim arising.
• Re-entering too early — wait for professional clearance. CO can linger; gas can pool in low spots.
• Not ringing a fitter after — even if the immediate danger is gone, something caused it. Find and fix.
• Calling the heater manufacturer first — not the right first call. Emergency services, gas network, then fitter. Manufacturer for warranty follow-up comes later.

For immediate gas emergencies: 1800 427 532. For fire, ambulance or police: 000.