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Gas emergency · Act now

Smell gas in your house? Leave the house.

A gas leak is a real emergency — but a manageable one if you do the right things in the right order. The first call is SA Gas Emergency on 1800 427 532 (free, 24/7). They'll dispatch a network technician to make the property safe. Then ring us — we'll find and fix the source as soon as the network has cleared the area.

SA Gas Emergency — 1800 427 532 Then call us — 0485 676 319
SA Gas Emergency: free, 24/7
We do make-safe + repair
Licensed gas fitter
Adelaide metro
Adelaide gas fitter responding to a gas leak emergency callout
Emergency
Get out first
Make-safe
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The 5 things to do — in order

1

Don't switch anything

No light switches, no fans, no extractor, no phones inside the house. A spark can ignite gas. Don't even pull a plug out.

2

Open windows on the way out

If they're already open or easy to push, open them as you go. Don't go room-to-room ventilating — just leave.

3

Turn off at the meter (if safe)

The gas meter is usually outside. Turn the lever 90 degrees so it sits across the pipe — that's OFF.

4

Get everyone outside

Family, pets, anyone visiting. Stand at least 10 metres from the house. Don't stand at the door.

5. Call SA Gas Emergency from outside

Free 24/7. They'll dispatch a network technician within the hour for a confirmed leak.

Call 1800 427 532 now
What's happening

Why a gas smell is serious — and why panic isn't

Natural gas itself has no smell. The rotten-egg odour you can smell is a chemical called mercaptan added to the gas at the network so leaks are detectable by humans. Most people can smell concentrations way below the level that becomes dangerous, which is exactly the point. If you can smell it, the system is doing its job — you've been warned early.

For gas to ignite, it needs to be in the air at a concentration between 5% and 15%. Below 5% it's too lean; above 15% it's too rich. Most house leaks are well below 5% in the rooms you stand in, which is why most leaks don't end in explosions. They end with you smelling something off, opening a window, and ringing for help.

The dangerous moment is when a leak runs unattended for hours — gas builds up in an enclosed space (a sealed laundry, an under-stairs cupboard) and any spark from a fridge thermostat, a light switch, or static electricity can set it off. That's why the right response is: don't switch anything, get out, call.

Where the leak is probably coming from

Common gas leak sources in Adelaide homes

  • Pilot light blown out on a heater. Older heaters with standing pilots will release a small amount of gas if the pilot blows out and the safety thermocouple is slow to shut. Often just a faint whiff near the heater.
  • Loose fitting at a heater isolation tap. Common after recent work, or if someone has bumped the tap. Often a five-minute fix.
  • Cracked or perished flexible hose behind a gas cooktop or in the laundry behind a gas heater. These hoses have a service life — old ones crack at the rubber/fitting joint.
  • Cracked copper line. Less common — usually caused by building movement, renovation work, or rodents chewing insulation.
  • Faulty gas valve on a heater. Either failed-open or leaking past the diaphragm. Heater needs to be isolated and repaired or replaced.
  • Outside the house — gas main leak. Smell coming from outside, especially near the footpath, is a network problem. Call 1800 427 532 — they'll handle it.
DIY?

Can I fix it myself?

Absolutely not. No exceptions. Repairing a gas leak — even a small one — is licensed work under the Plumbing, Gas and Electrical Services Act 1995. DIY repairs are illegal, void your home insurance, and frequently make the leak worse before they make it better.

What you can do safely: shut off the gas at the meter, ventilate, get out, call. That's it. Anything past that is for the network technician (who makes the property safe) and then a licensed gas fitter (who does the repair).

When to call us

Call us once you've called 1800 427 532

Here's how the sequence works for most Adelaide gas leak callouts:

  1. SA Gas Emergency dispatches a network technician — usually on site within the hour for a confirmed leak.
  2. The technician makes the property safe — typically by isolating the gas at the meter and confirming with detection equipment that no live leak remains.
  3. They will tell you "your gas is now off — you need a licensed gas fitter to find and repair the source before it can be turned back on."
  4. That's where we come in. Ring 0485 676 319 and we'll typically be there same-day. We pressure-test the property side, locate the leak, repair it, re-test, and re-commission your gas.

If the leak is at a heater specifically, we can often do the make-safe ourselves on arrival without you needing the network out at all — but for any leak you can smell strongly, always call 1800 427 532 first as a safety precaution.

Honest pricing

How much will the repair cost?

2026 Adelaide pricing, GST included. The SA Gas Emergency callout itself is free. Our prices are for the repair side once the property is safe.

  • Emergency callout + leak diagnostic: $249 (waived if you proceed with the repair)
  • Tighten loose fitting + pressure test: $249–$320
  • Replace flexible gas hose: $260–$380
  • Replace damaged copper section: $380–$680 depending on length and access
  • Heater isolation valve / gas valve replacement: $400–$650
  • Full property gas pressure test + compliance cert: $260

You always get the total quoted upfront before any work starts.

Response time

How quickly can you come out?

Gas leaks are our top-priority callout. We'll be moving as soon as you ring, day or night, anywhere in Adelaide metro. After-hours and weekend rate is $249 — but the leak gets fixed and your gas back on tonight.

If the SA Gas Emergency network technician has already isolated the gas at the meter, you're not in immediate danger — you can also book us for the next morning if it's late at night and you'd rather not have us in the house at midnight.

FAQ

Smelling gas — common questions

SA Gas Emergency on 1800 427 532 first — free, 24/7, network technician dispatched to make safe. Then a licensed gas fitter (us on 0485 676 319) to find and repair the source.
Yes if you can reach it safely. Turn the lever on the gas meter 90 degrees so it sits across the pipe (closed position). This stops gas entering the house. Then leave the property.
No. Don't use any electrical switches, phones, or anything that could spark inside. Get outside, then make calls.
Once the leak is stopped and the house ventilated, the rotten-egg smell usually clears in 30–60 minutes. The smell is mercaptan — a chemical added to gas. Gas itself is odourless.
No. SA Gas Emergency on 1800 427 532 is free for any suspected leak. They make the network side safe. The repair on the property side is then a licensed gas fitter at our normal rates.
Related help

Other gas heater problems we help with

Once you're safe outside — call us for the repair

Same-day Adelaide metro. Licensed gas fitter. Pressure-test, locate, repair, re-commission. Compliance certificate.

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