Symptom
Smell of gas around the furnace
A gas smell is the one furnace symptom that is never investigated by the homeowner: leave the building first, call FortisBC's emergency line or 911 from outside, and let the gas utility make the building safe before anyone touches the furnace.
Smell gas?
- Do not operate light switches, appliances or phones inside.
- Leave the building and leave the door open behind you.
- From outside, call the FortisBC emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or 911.
- Only after that, call BC Wide about the furnace.
A furnace that will not run is a breakdown, not a gas emergency. Gas smell, a CO alarm, soot or scorching are.
Short answer
If you smell gas: stop what you are doing, do not operate light switches, phones or anything that can spark, leave the building immediately, leave the door open behind you, and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 or 911 from outside. Do not re-enter until the utility or emergency services say it is safe. Only afterwards call BC Wide about the furnace.
Have a code on the display?
Why the smell means leave first
Utility gas is odourized with mercaptan so leaks can be smelled. A persistent rotten-egg smell near the furnace or anywhere in the house can mean gas is escaping, and the safe response does not include investigating where it comes from: gas at the right concentration ignites from a switch, a phone or a pilot.
The gas utility is the responder for gas leaks: FortisBC's emergency line operates around the clock, and they can isolate the supply at the meter. BC Wide and every page on this site route gas smells to FortisBC or 911 before anything else.
Smells that are not leaks
Not every smell is a leak: a metallic or dusty smell on the first firing of the season is usually dust burning off the heat exchanger, and a chemical smell can come from other sources. The rule is simple though: if it smells like gas, treat it as gas. Only the utility's testing can rule a leak out.
A furnace that is not burning cleanly can produce combustion smells that are not mercaptan; those also deserve a service call, because the cause may be a combustion or venting problem.
What happens next
After the building is safe and the utility has responded, the furnace can be examined for the cause: a gas-valve fault, a connection leak, or an appliance that was disturbed. That examination is licensed-gas-fitter work, and the repair is permitted like any gas work.
Related
Questions people ask
Should I open windows when I smell gas?
The priority is leaving: do not stop to open windows or turn anything off. Leave the door open on the way out and call from outside.
Is a small gas smell okay if it goes away?
No. Any gas smell is treated as a leak until the utility proves otherwise. Leave, call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 or 911, and stay out.
Can a furnace cause a gas smell when it is off?
Yes, if gas is leaking at the valve, a connection or the piping. That is exactly why the response is to leave and call the utility regardless of whether the furnace is running.
Still no heat?
Call BC Wide with the brand, model number and anything on the display. Or
Request service online with this page attached.