Gas smell in the kitchen

If you smell gas, this is not a “we’ll deal with it after lunch” situation.

I’m going to be very direct here. A gas leak is not like a burner that won’t light or a cold griddle section. A leak can put people in the hospital, set off a flash fire, or shut your entire operation down.

In this post I’ll walk you through:

  • What to do immediately if you smell gas
  • The most common reasons we see gas leaks in commercial kitchens
  • What we test and repair when we come out
  • When it’s actually not a leak (combustion exhaust / normal ignition)
  • When you should evacuate and call emergency services, not a repair tech

What kitchens usually tell me

When a restaurant calls about gas, I hear things like:

  • “We smell gas near the range.”
  • “There’s a propane smell when the oven is running.”
  • “We shut the fryer off but it still smells like gas.”
  • “We came in in the morning and the whole line smelled off before anything was even on.”

If I hear any version of “the smell is strong” or “I’m getting lightheaded,” the next step is not troubleshooting. The next step is leaving the area and getting the gas supply shut off safely.

Let’s start there.

Step 1: What you should do immediately if you smell gas

If you have a noticeable gas smell in or around cooking equipment:

  1. Shut off the gas feeding that equipment.
    Most commercial lines have a shutoff valve for each appliance and/or a main shutoff for the line. Turn it off.
  2. Ventilate the area.
    Open doors, open hoods, get air moving. You want to clear any accumulated gas.
    Do not create sparks. Don’t start flipping light switches on and off, don’t light pilots, don’t “try it one more time.”
  3. Stop cooking on that equipment.
    Take that station out of service. If it’s leaking, you’re pushing gas into the room.
  4. If the smell is strong across the whole kitchen or you’re getting dizzy, step out.
    That’s not a “service call,” that’s an emergency call. Get staff out of that space and call gas utility / fire.
  5. Do not try to “tighten fittings with a wrench.”
    I know people do this. Please don’t. You can worsen the leak or crack a regulator.

After it’s safe, that’s when we come in.

“How strong is strong?”

Here’s how I explain it in normal language.

  • Mild / local:
    You only smell gas right up close to one appliance, and it fades fast when you step back.
    → Shut that appliance down. Call for service.
  • Heavy / room level:
    You smell it across the line or room. The air feels “thick” or makes you uncomfortable.
    → Shut main gas, ventilate, clear people out, call emergency first.

If you’re not sure which one you’re in, act like it’s the second one.

Why you might smell gas

There are a few common causes we see in restaurants, cafes, hotels, etc.

1. Loose or damaged fittings

Any threaded gas connection can start leaking over time:

  • Equipment was moved/cleaned and the line got stressed or partially backed off.
  • Flex line wasn’t properly secured and got kinked or rubbed.
  • Someone swapped equipment and didn’t seal the joint correctly.

These are usually found at:

  • The back of ranges, ovens, fryers
  • Quick-disconnect hoses on mobile equipment
  • Regulators

What we do: we leak-test those fittings properly (more on that below), fix or replace what's leaking, and re-test that joint under pressure.

2. Faulty regulator or valve

Gas equipment relies on proper pressure. A regulator or control valve that’s failing can:

  • Stick partially open
  • Not seat properly
  • Bleed gas through when it’s supposed to be closed

You may notice:

  • You smell gas even when the burner is “off”
  • Flames are behaving weird (too big, too orange, lazy, noisy)
  • Popping sounds on light-off

We shut down that zone, test the regulator/valve, and replace it if it’s not holding shut like it should.

3. Pilot or igniter issues

On older appliances with standing pilots:

  • A pilot can go out, but the gas is still flowing to that pilot line
  • You’ll smell gas in that area, especially under or behind the unit

On newer spark-ignition systems:

  • The system may be trying (and failing) to light repeatedly
  • You’ll get repeated gas + spark attempts without stable flame

This is not “normal.” If a burner is dumping gas and failing to light, we take that burner out of service until the ignition problem is repaired.

4. Burner not combusting cleanly

This is the one that confuses kitchens.

Sometimes you’re not smelling a raw leak. You’re smelling incomplete combustion — basically unburned fuel or bad exhaust.

Usually caused by:

  • Bad air/fuel mix
  • Blocked burner ports
  • Wrong or damaged orifice
  • Burner misaligned

This can also give:

  • Yellow flames
  • Sooty residue on pots
  • Strong “gassy” or “propane-ish” smell when the burner is ON

That’s still not safe. That means this thing is burning dirty. We shut that burner down and correct the combustion (clean, adjust air, confirm pressure).

What you should NOT do

Please don’t:

  • Tape, wrap, or “seal” a gas fitting yourself.
  • Try to relight a pilot over and over while you smell gas.
  • Keep running a fryer / oven / range that you know is leaking “just through lunch.”
  • Ignore a regulator that’s hissing.

Also: don’t store stuff (rags, foil, trays) on top of or behind gas plumbing to “hide the smell.” I’ve seen that. That’s how kitchens burn down.

What we do on a service call for gas smell

When we’re called for “we smell gas,” this is not guesswork. There’s a process.

  1. Visual and nose check first
    We locate the general source: behind the range, under the fryer, near the manifold, etc.
    If it’s a strong leak and it’s unsafe, we’re not touching anything until the space is made safe.
  2. Shut off / isolate the suspect equipment
    We valve off that appliance or that branch so we can work without feeding gas into the space.
  3. Leak testing
    We use proper leak detection (commercial leak solution / test equipment) on suspect joints, unions, quick disconnects, valves, and regulators.
    The idea is simple: we’re looking for bubbles / reading changes that confirm “yes, this joint is leaking.”
  4. We’re not guessing based on smell. We confirm.
  5. Repair or replace the problem component
    • Reseal and tighten a fitting (correctly, not just “crank it harder”).
    • Replace a damaged flex line or quick connect.
    • Replace a bad regulator or faulty gas valve that’s bleeding through.
    • Service or adjust the burner / pilot / igniter system so it lights cleanly and stays lit.
  6. Re-test under normal operating conditions
    After the fix, we restore gas, run the unit the way you actually use it, and confirm:
    • No external leak at fittings
    • Stable combustion (no big yellow flames, no popping, no constant raw gas smell)
    • Normal ignition

If it doesn’t pass that test, it does not go back into service.

“Can you just turn it back on so we can finish service?”

If we haven’t verified that it’s leak-free and burning correctly? No.

If I put it back in service and you have a flash, or you fill a prep area with unburned gas and someone hits a spark, that’s on both of us.

If it’s safe, you’re up. If it’s not safe, it stays off until it is.

When this is not a service call — it’s an emergency

There are moments where I’d tell you: do not wait for a normal appointment. Shut it down and get out.

That includes:

  • Strong gas smell across the entire kitchen or dining area
  • People reporting headache, dizziness, or nausea
  • You hear active hissing from a gas line or connection
  • You see flame where there should not be flame (for example: flame at a fitting or valve body, not at a burner)

In that situation:

  • Kill main gas if you can reach it safely
  • Ventilate if it’s safe to do so
  • Clear people away from the area
  • Call emergency services / gas utility

Don’t gamble on that.

FAQ: Gas smell in a commercial kitchen

We smell gas behind one piece of equipment but it’s still working. Can we keep cooking?
Shut that unit down and get it checked. A small leak doesn’t stay small forever.

We’re only getting the smell when the burner tries to light and fails. Is that “normal”?
No. Failed ignition that keeps dumping gas is not normal. That section should be shut down and repaired.

Can I spray soapy water on the connection to “find the leak”?
That’s something a tech does, but you should not be tearing into gas fittings yourself. If you find a leak, you’re still not authorized to correct it. Shut that line and call it in.

What if the smell is faint and only near the pilot area?
A lazy or blown-out pilot can still leak gas. That’s service, not “ignore it.” We fix pilots and ignition systems so they light and prove flame correctly.

If I just crank the valve tighter, will that stop it?
Please do not do that. Over-torquing a gas fitting can crack it, distort the seal, or make it worse. Then your “little leak” becomes a real leak.

Final word from a tech

Gas smell is not a “maintenance note.” It’s safety.

Here’s the order:

  1. Smell gas → shut gas off to that unit.
  2. Ventilate.
  3. Keep people safe.
  4. We come in, leak-test the system, repair the bad fitting/valve/regulator/ignition, and verify clean combustion before that appliance goes back into service.

If you ever feel like you’re gambling — “it’s probably fine, just run it” — that’s exactly when to shut it down. The cost of losing one station for a couple hours is nothing compared to what a gas incident in a kitchen can do.

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