Gas Safety Tips

If You Smell Rotten Eggs...

Call Hawaiʻi Gas and open windows to ventilate the building. Do not attempt to locate gas leaks with matches or other open flames. Do not attempt to operate electrical switches or use telephones in the presence of a strong odor; to report a gas leak, use the nearest phone away from the odor and call the Hawaiʻi Gas emergency number at (808) 526-0066.

Follow The Manufacturer's Instructions

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for operation and care of your gas appliances. Properly train household members how to turn on or light gas appliances. Keep curtains, papers, fluids, and other flammable materials away from open gas flames.

Keep A Fire Extinguisher Handy

It's recommended that you have an approved fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it. Baking soda or salt will help put out grease fires. A fire can sometimes be smothered with a large pot cover if a fairly tight seal can be obtained. Do not attempt to extinguish a gas flame other than by closing your service shut off valve located at your gas meter set.

Keep Burner Surfaces Clean

Keep range tops free of matches, grease, and other flammable materials.

Follow Instructions When Relighting

If a pilot light goes out, follow the manufacturer's instructions for relighting. If you smell gas, do not relight and call Hawaiʻi Gas.

Don't Just Rely On Your Nose

Hawaiʻi Gas adds a distinctive odor to its Natural Gas, Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a safety precaution to assist in the detection of leaks.  Although this is standard industry practice, you should not rely solely on your sense of smell to determine if gas is present.

Some people may not be able to detect the odorant because they have a diminished sense of smell. Others may have smelled the same odor for too long and become desensitized to it.  Additionally, the odor may be masked by other odors in the area.

There are also certain conditions that may cause the odor to "fade" so that it is not easily detectable. Odor fade, or loss of odorant, occurs when the odorant in the gas is diminished because of physical and chemical processes. To mitigate odor fade, Hawaiʻi Gas monitors odorant concentrations of our gases through periodic testing at various locations along our transmission and distribution pipelines.

Always Light The Match First

Always light the match first and hold it in the burner area before you turn on the gas. If you smell gas, do not light the match. Be sure your water heater is properly installed in compliance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and local plumbing codes. When in doubt, call Hawaiʻi Gas.

Work May Require Permits

Gas line, appliance repair, and installation jobs are for trained professionals and may require a county permit. Please contact your nearest Hawaiʻi Gas branch to find out before doing any work.

Purchase Gas Appliances With The American Gas Association (AGA) Blue Star Certification Seal

The seal assures you that the appliance design complies with national safety standards for durability, safety and performance.

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