Nov 14 2024, Partly Cloudy, 20ºC
Gas Leak or Outage
How to prepare for or prevent a gas outage or leak
- Know where the shutoff valves are located in your home.
- Contact your service provider to schedule regular inspections of your appliances, furnace, vents and chimney.
- If you have indoor gas lines and a meter, keep them free, clear and untouched at all times.
- Learn how to correctly operate your natural gas appliances like a furnace, hot water heater, cooker, and fireplace. Improper use can result in carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, which can lead to serious illness or death.
- If you have natural gas in your home, maintain a CO detector.
Staying safe during a natural gas outage or leak
How to tell when there's a leak
A pungent, rotten egg odour is added to natural gas so it is detected for safety reasons. You may also hear the sound of escaping gas from a pipe..
Gas inside a building
- Leave the building or area immediately. As you exit, leave open any windows and doors.
- Leave lights and appliances alone as they may be a source of ignition.
- Call 911 from a safe location using a neighbour’s landline or cell phone.
- Call your service provider's emergency line.
- If you or a family member experience respiratory distress, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Gas outside a building
- Call 911 immediately from a safe distance.
- Keep people away from the area.
- Do not smoke or light any flames.
Staying warm in winter during a gas outage
- Keep your home from cooling down: close blinds and drapes, avoid opening doors, and put on extra layers of clothing.
- Be cautious when using other sources of heat:
- Avoid wood fireplaces (you need to open a nearby window). Indoor electric heaters are safe to use. Learn more about safe electrical and gas appliance use.
- Fuel burnging applicances emit carbon monoxide - a clear, colourless, and odourless gas that can cause illness or death. Never use fuel-burning appliances inside, this includes:
- barbecues
- generators
- camp stoves
- kerosene heaters