Hissing or whistling.
A hissing or whistling sound near a pipe, fitting, appliance or the meter.
Service · Gas leak repair
Strong smell of gas? Get everyone outside and ring 000 first
Gas leak plumber Penrith, found, fixed and certified.
A rotten egg smell in the kitchen, a hiss near the meter, or a gas bill that suddenly jumps. PVS Plumbing is the licensed gas leak plumber Penrith homes and businesses ring to find the leak, repair it properly and certify the work. We handle natural gas and LPG across Penrith and Western Sydney.
§02 / Smell gas right now?
Strong smell or anyone unwell
Ring 000
From outside the building
Do this first.
Five steps, in this order. Get people safe before you think about the leak itself.
1
Don’t light anything.
No matches, lighters, stove or candles.
2
Don’t touch electrics.
Leave light switches, fans and appliances as they are, on or off. A spark is enough.
3
Open up, get out.
Open doors and windows on your way out, only if you can do it safely, then leave the building.
4
Turn off the gas.
Only if you can reach it safely. Natural gas: turn the valve at the meter so the handle sits across the pipe. LPG: turn the cylinder valves clockwise until closed.
5
Call from outside.
If the smell is strong, ring 000. Once everyone is safe, call your gas distributor’s faults line (it’s on your gas bill), then ring us on 0412 045 854.
§03 / Signs of a gas leak
Smell isn’t the only clue.
Gas suppliers add a strong odour to gas so leaks are easy to notice, but smell isn’t the only clue. Watch for any of these.
Meter moving with everything off.
The gas meter keeps moving when every gas appliance is switched off.
Yellow or orange flames.
Cooktop or heater flames burning yellow or orange instead of a steady blue.
Bubbles in wet ground.
Bubbles in a puddle or wet ground along the line of a buried gas pipe.
Dead patch of grass.
A patch of dead or yellowing grass above a gas line with no other cause.
A bill that jumps.
A gas bill that’s higher than usual without any change in how you use gas.
If anyone feels unwell
Fresh air first, then 000.
If anyone in the house feels dizzy, nauseous or gets a headache that eases when they go outside, get everyone into fresh air and call 000.
§04 / Check your gas meter
A 30-minute meter test.
If there’s no smell inside and you just want to rule a leak in or out, the meter can tell you a lot.
Never go looking for a leak with a flame. Leave the hunting to a licensed gas fitter with the right gear.
How to check your meter.
4 steps · 30 min- Turn everything off.Turn off every gas appliance, including pilot lights on heaters and the hot water system if you can.
- Record the reading.Write down the meter reading or take a photo of it.
- Wait 30 minutes.Don’t use any gas for 30 minutes, then check it again.
- Compare.If the reading has moved, gas is going somewhere it shouldn’t.
Reading unchanged
No flow while everything’s off.
Still smelling gas or noticing other signs? Ring us anyway.
Reading moved
Gas is escaping somewhere.
Ring us on 0412 045 854 and tell us what you saw.
§05 / How we find and fix a gas leak
From first call to certificate in hand.
Every leak job follows the same order: make it safe, prove where the leak is, fix it, then test again before we leave.
1
Phone brief.
Tell us what you’re noticing, where, and whether it’s natural gas or LPG. Photos of the meter, cylinders or the appliance help.
2
Isolate and make safe.
We isolate the supply and make the area safe before anything is opened up.
3
Pressure test.
A gauge test on the system confirms whether there is a leak and which section it’s in.
4
Locate the leak.
We narrow it down fitting by fitting using leak detection gear and soapy solution, including concealed and underground runs where access allows.
5
Repair.
We fix the faulty joint, valve or regulator, or replace the affected section of pipe if it’s at the end of its life.
6
Re-test and certify.
The system is pressure tested again, appliances are relit and checked, and you get a Gas Compliance Certificate for the repair work to AS/NZS 5601.
Need a new appliance or a line extension instead? That’s covered on our gas fitting page.
Gas fitting
§06 / The Penrith reality
Where gas leaks usually start.
Plenty of homes around Penrith, St Marys and Kingswood still run their original copper gas lines from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Most of it is still sound.
The trouble tends to sit in a handful of predictable spots. Knowing these patterns means we check the likely culprits first.
FIG.01 / Trouble spots
What we check first.
- Disturbed jointsJoints disturbed during earlier renovations, where a cooktop was moved or a line was cut in.
- Old isolation valvesAppliance isolation valves that have opened and closed for decades.
- Meter regulatorsRegulators that are past their service life.
- Flexible hosesHoses on cooktops, heaters and BBQs that have perished, kinked or been pinched behind a cupboard.
- LPG connectionsCylinder connections and pigtails exposed to Western Sydney summer heat.
§07 / Natural gas or LPG
Two gases, what changes.
Both can leak and both need a licensed gas fitter. The repair and testing process is similar, but where we look first differs.
Mains supply
Natural gas.
Comes through your meter from the street network at low pressure.
Supply
Street network via meter
Pressure
Low
Where we look first
- Joints disturbed during renovations
- Ageing appliance isolation valves
- The meter regulator
- Flexible appliance hoses
Cylinder & bulk
LPG systems.
Comes from cylinders or a bulk tank at higher regulated pressure, so leaks at the regulator and cylinder connections are more common.
Supply
Cylinders or bulk tank
Pressure
Higher, regulated
Where we look first
- The regulator
- Cylinder connections and pigtails
- Flexible hoses on BBQs and heaters
- Joints along the run
Certified separately
Each system is checked and certified for its own gas type. Let us know which you have when you call.
§08 / Gas leak FAQ
The questions everyone asks about gas leaks.
Direct answers from a licensed Penrith gas fitter. If your question isn’t here, send it through and we’ll add it.
Should I call 000, the gas distributor or a plumber?
If the smell is strong, you can hear gas escaping, or anyone feels unwell, ring 000 from outside. For a problem with the meter or the network in the street, call your gas distributor’s faults line on your gas bill. For leaks on your side of the meter, such as pipework, appliances, hoses or LPG cylinders, call a licensed gas fitter like PVS.
Is a faint gas smell outside near the meter normal?
No. A meter or regulator shouldn’t give off any smell. Turn the meter off if it’s safe to do so, keep people and pets away, and get it checked.
Can I fix a small gas leak myself?
No. All gas work in NSW must be done by a licensed gas fitter. DIY repairs are illegal, can affect your insurance and can make a small leak worse. The safe move is to turn the gas off and call us.
Will I get paperwork after the repair?
Yes. Every gas leak repair we carry out finishes with a Gas Compliance Certificate covering the work we did. Keep it for your records, your insurer and any future sale of the property.
Do I need to replace all my old gas pipe?
Not usually. Most leaks come from one joint, valve or fitting, and repairing that section is enough. If testing shows the pipe itself is failing, we’ll explain what we found and quote to replace only the affected run.
§09 / Licensed and certified
Gas leak? Ring a licensed local.
Tell us what you’re smelling, hearing or seeing, and we’ll talk you through what to do next. Every repair is pressure tested and certified before we leave.