Gas Oven Has a Residual Gas Smell

Lingering Gas Smell

• Natural gas is odorless, but federal and state regulations require gas providers to add odorants, most commonly sulfur, making a gas leak more detectable. Any oven that uses gas produce an odor when in use, but the smell quickly goes away after the oven is turned off, especially if you have a ventilation hood over your oven. If the smell of natural gas lingers, is a problem.

What to Do

• First, ventilate the room by opening windows and running the whole house fan setting on your air conditioner. See if the natural gas smell diminishes as fresh air enters the room. If it does not, make sure the gas burners on the stove are turned off. If they are off, get everyone out of the house immediately and call the fire department. Never use a match or candle for light and never turn on any electrical switches or light switches.

Repairs

• Once the fire department declared the home safe to re-enter, have your oven inspected for a gas leak and repaired if gas is leaking. Your gas provider may also inspect the gas connections near your oven to make sure there is no leak there. If a leak is discovered, do not delay in its repair. You will continue to put your family at risk for as long as the leak goes unrepaired, even if the oven is not used.

Natural Gas Detectors

• Since odor is typically the only way that people discover gas in the home, your family is more at risk when sleeping or otherwise unable to detect strong odors. Install natural gas detectors in your home. These devices are similar to fire and carbon monoxide detectors and sound an alarm when natural gas in the home reaches a dangerous level. Just like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, natural gas detectors need inspection and maintenance on a regular basis.