Gas system · Naples and Campania
Smell of gas at home: what to do right now
If you smell gas at home, the priority is to get out and let the people who run the network deal with it, not to work out where it is coming from. This page tells you what to do in the first minutes, who to call and what happens afterwards. It is not a problem to solve on a video call.
Do not switch lights or appliances on or off, do not use flames, open the windows, close the gas tap at the meter if you can do so without risk, go outside and call your gas distributor's emergency line from there (freephone number on your bill; for Italgas 800 900 999, free, 24 hours a day) or 112.
Recognise the problem
- You smell gas as soon as you walk into the home or kitchen
- The smell is stronger near the boiler or water heater
- You smell it near the meter or on the landing
- You hear a hiss near a pipe or a gas tap
- A hob knob has been left open with the flame out
The most common causes
- 1
Flame out on the hob
A boil-over or a draught can put the flame out while gas keeps coming. Many cookers have a safety valve that shuts off the gas when the flame goes out. Older ones may not.
- 2
Flexible hose or fitting
A rubber hose that has expired or is crushed behind the units, or a loose fitting, can leak. It is one of the reasons the cooker hose must be checked and replaced when it expires.
- 3
Boiler or water heater
A leak can come from the fittings or the gas valve of the appliance. Do not try to reset or relight it: only the technician touches the gas parts.
- 4
Meter or external network
If the smell is at the meter, on the landing or in the street, the leak may be on the network or before the meter. Only the distributor deals with that.
What you can safely check yourself
- Do not switch lights, switches, appliances, bells or entry phones on or off
- Do not use flames, lighters or matches, and do not smoke
- Open doors and windows to let the air circulate
- Close the gas tap at the meter only if you can do it without risk
- Go outside and call the distributor's gas emergency line or 112 from there
Never open the boiler or the gas water heater, and always switch off the power before touching an electrical appliance. If in doubt, call us.
When you need a technician at home
- The emergency service has shut off the gas and told you to have the system repaired
- The leak is on pipes, fittings or taps after the meter
- The cooker hose has expired or is not suitable for your hob
- The boiler or water heater must be checked before being relit
- A section of the system has to be redone, with a new declaration of conformity
Who to call: the distributor, 112, then the qualified business
The gas emergency service belongs to the distributor, the company that manages the pipes and the meter, which is not always the same as the company that sends you the bill. You find the freephone number on your bill. For the Italgas network it is 800 900 999, free, 24 hours a day. You can also call 112.
Always phone from outside the home. The distributor's technician looks for the leak, makes things safe and, if needed, shuts off the supply.
The meter and the pipes before it belong to the distributor. What comes after, meaning the pipes in the home, the taps, the flexible hoses and the appliances, is the responsibility of whoever lives there or of the owner. To repair it you need a business qualified for gas systems, letter E of DM 37/2008, which issues the declaration of conformity at the end.
A boiler that smells of gas and other cases
If the smell comes from the boiler, do not press the reset button and do not try to relight it. The procedure does not change: no switches, windows open, meter tap closed if you can do so without risk, out of the home and call from outside.
If the smell is at the meter or on the landing, do not ring your neighbours' bells. Call the emergency service directly. The meter and the network before it are the distributor's responsibility.
Once the emergency is over, have the point that was leaking checked before you use the appliance again. If the problem was the cooker hose, it must be replaced with a suitable one. Rubber ones have an expiry date, stainless steel ones do not, but they too need to be kept an eye on.
Want to know what it is first? Show us
Do not use a video call if you smell gas, and do not stay in the home with your phone looking for the leak. Go outside and call your distributor's gas emergency line or 112. Only once the home has been made safe does it make sense to talk about repairing the system.
Video consultation, up to 15 minutes: €9.90 (€14.90 on Sundays), deducted from the bill if we then come to your home.
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Frequently asked questions
Who should I call if I smell gas?
Your distributor's gas emergency line, using the freephone number on your bill, or 112. For the Italgas network the number is 800 900 999. Always call from outside the home.
The boiler smells of gas. Can I reset it?
No. Do not press reset, do not relight it and do not touch switches. Follow the emergency procedure and, once things are safe, have the boiler checked by a qualified business.
I smell gas near the meter. Who deals with it?
The distributor, because the meter and the network before it are theirs. Call the gas emergency line and do not try to tighten fittings or take anything apart.
Can I use my mobile phone in the home to call?
The rule is to call from outside. It is best not to use a phone, like any electrical device, where there is gas. Go out first and phone from the street.
Who repairs the system after the emergency?
If the leak is after the meter, a letter E qualified business. It repairs the fault, carries out the tightness test and gives you the declaration of conformity for the work done.
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