Gas Smell from Your Oven or Hob: What to Do Now and Why It Happens

If you smell gas: close the cylinder or line valve at once, open doors and windows, don't switch any electrical switch on or off, don't light anything, don't use your phone inside, then go out and call from outside. If the smell is strong or you can't shut off the source, call emergency services: 911 in the Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and Eastern regions, and 998 in the rest of the Kingdom. Once the room has aired, don't use the oven until a technician has found the source of the leak.

Cooking gas in Saudi homes, whether from a cylinder or a central tank, has no smell of its own. The smell you notice is added on purpose so you notice even a small leak. So never ignore it, even when it is faint or comes and goes.

What to do, in order

1. Shut off the gas: the cylinder valve, or the gas line valve in the kitchen or flat.
2. Air the room: open doors and windows wide.
3. Don't touch electrical switches: don't turn lights or the extractor on or off, and don't unplug anything. The tiny spark inside a switch can be enough to ignite gas.
4. No flames at all: no lighter, no matches, no smoking.
5. Get everyone out if the smell is strong, and call from outside.
6. Get help: emergency services if the smell is strong or the source isn't shut off, and an oven technician to find the leak once the room has aired.

If the smell is very strong, you hear a clear hiss, or you can't reach the valve, don't try to fix anything. Leave at once and call emergency services.

Emergency numbers by region

The General Directorate of Civil Defense asks people to call 911 in the Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and Eastern regions, and 998 in the rest of the Kingdom. For the cities we serve:

Source: Civil Defense statement reported by Ajel. Emergency numbers can change, so confirm them through official channels.

Where do leaks usually come from?

In most cases we see, the cause is the hose or its joints. A rubber hose has a set lifespan and is affected by the heat of the kitchen and the oven in front of it, so it cracks on the inside before anything shows outside. See the signs that a hose needs changing in when to replace your gas hose and regulator.

How is a leak found?

The standard safe method is soapy water: a mix of water and soap is brushed onto joints, the hose and valves, and growing bubbles show where the leak is. A technician uses this solution or an electronic leak detector, and checks the whole chain from the cylinder to the oven.

Never look for a leak with a lighter or match, however small you think the leak is.

What the technician does

• Checks every gas joint with leak-detection solution.
• Checks the hose, its age and clips, and replaces anything worn.
• Checks the regulator and its diaphragm, and replaces it if faulty.
• Checks the oven and hob valves and makes sure they close fully.
• Runs the oven and confirms the flame is right and there is no smell after the repair.

Any part is priced for you before fitting; details are on our gas oven spare parts page. If the smell comes from a hob burner valve, see what the work covers on our gas hob and burner repair page.

A faint smell only when lighting: is that normal?

A very faint smell for a moment when lighting a burner or the oven, which disappears as soon as the flame appears, can be normal, because a little gas comes out before it lights. If the smell stays after lighting, if lighting takes several seconds of repeated clicking, or if you smell gas with the oven off, that isn't normal and needs checking.

How to lower the risk of leaks at home

• Close the cylinder valve when travelling or when the kitchen won't be used for a while.
• Keep the cylinder upright in a well-aired spot, away from heat and direct sun.
• Don't let the hose run directly behind the oven or touch hot surfaces.
• Check the hose and joints with soapy water from time to time.
• Civil Defense recommends fitting a gas leak detector in the kitchen and having ovens and hobs checked regularly.
• Before bed or going out, make sure every knob is off.

If your building runs on a central gas tank

In many buildings and towers, especially in Jeddah and Dammam, gas reaches the flats from a central tank through fixed pipes, with a main valve and sometimes a meter in each flat. If you smell gas, close the flat's valve first. If the smell clears after airing, the leak is most likely inside the flat, at the connection, the hose or the oven, which is what an oven technician checks. If the smell stays even with the flat's valve closed, or it is in the corridor or stairwell, the problem is the shared line. Tell the building management or caretaker at once, and call emergency services if the smell is strong. Work on the central line itself is the responsibility of whoever runs the building.

A quick check when a cylinder is delivered

• Make sure the valve washer is there and intact before fitting the regulator.
• Fit and tighten the regulator, then open the valve and brush soapy water on the joint.
• If bubbles appear, close the valve and ask for the cylinder or washer to be replaced.
• Don't lay the cylinder on its side or turn it upside down.

Common questions