How Do I Turn Off the Main Gas Valve in My House?

This one is important and could save you a lot of time, money, and inconvenience. If you smell gas or think that you might have a gas leak, this is our friendly advice to you…

You should know that a slight gas smell near certain equipment that has a gas regulator is not uncommon. If your system has gas regulators, they will occasionally balance pressure and emit a small amount of gas from time to time. This occasional odor is intermittent, never constant, and only happens when regulators are present.

Next, depending on the location of the smell (attic, stove, water heater(s), pool equipment, etc.) you can turn the shut-off valve(s) off at the device or appliance. In the case of an attic, you might want to turn off the gas supply to all of the appliances in that area, including the water heater(s) and furnaces.

If you are unsure what to do, a little nervous, and/or the smell is outside, then you should do the following:

1. Find your largest wrench or pair of pliers
2. Proceed to your gas meter location and locate the two pipes coming from the ground
3. Find the one of these two pipes that has a shut-off valve
4. Using the wrench or large pliers, grip the flat part of the valve and slightly turn a QUARTER TURN
5. Make sure that you did not turn more than a quarter turn! Many gas valve shut-offs will rotate 360 degrees
6. Call Earl’s Plumbing at 806-203-6214 and we will take it from there

Depending on your level of concern, you will have to make the best call at the time. Some people call the gas utilities provider and some even call the Fire Department. Neither of those is wrong, but if you have a gas leak, the only thing either of those two entities will be able to do is to confirm you have a leak and then turn off the gas meter and lock it until fully resolved, tested, permitted, and inspected.

It is not uncommon for us to arrive at a gas leak where Atmos, CoServ, or the Fire Department has arrived and locked the meter, but then upon our testing, there is no leak to be found. A licensed plumber still must perform a thorough test of the entire gas system, but now we also have to pull a permit and get it inspected. By calling Earl’s Plumbing we can complete the same tests, make the repair, and get the gas turned back on all on the same day without the additional trips, a permit, or an inspection.

A common worst-case scenario is getting a gas leak call on a Friday. Leak or no leak, same day repair or not, once the meter is locked by the utility provider or the Fire Department, we cannot get your gas turned back on before Monday afternoon or even Tuesday unless a significant weather event is expected.

So, the homeowner turning the gas off at the meter is always the preferred option. If you know where the shut-off valve is and can turn the gas off with a slight quarter turn, we can get your gas turned back on the same day and save you hundreds.