A renter who noticed a strong gas smell every time they turned on the hot water got a reality check when they turned to Reddit for advice.
Commenters said even a whiff of gas from an appliance can be a sign that something needs urgent attention.
Here's what to know
The concern came from a renter who described the situation in a post to the site's r/Plumbing community.
The original poster said they lived in a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor, with a tankless gas water heater kept in a small closet between the kitchen and main bedroom. "Every time I step into the kitchen and turn on the hot water in the kitchen sink in the evenings, I get the strongest, unmistakable whiff of natural gas," they wrote.
The OP also said they had been hesitant to bring yet another problem to management because the apartment's HVAC system had been broken since 2022.
"If you can't get help from maintenance, you can call the gas company, but if they find a leak, they're going to red-tag the unit and possibly shut off gas to your unit until it's fixed," one commenter said.
Another added: "Treat that gas smell as urgent, not a nuisance. A brief whiff when the tankless lights can still mean incomplete combustion, a draft problem, or a leak at the unit or its connections. Don't keep testing it."
What can be done?
The advice was to treat the situation as urgent, stop using hot water, and notify the landlord and gas utility in writing. Commenters added that if the odor became stronger, the safest response was to ventilate the apartment and get out rather than stay and wait for it to disappear.
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For homeowners considering a water heater replacement, a safe and cheap long-term option may be to move away from gas. Cala makes customizable smart heat pump water heaters that help homeowners decrease their energy bills by heating water when it's needed. Because they are designed to match heating to a household's hot-water use, they can reduce wasted energy while avoiding on-site combustion.
Where can I learn more?
Countless other renters and homeowners have dealt with similar gas and appliance scares.
• One tenant lost heat and hot water after code violations went unresolved for far too long.
• After a supposed repair, another tenant said a gas smell remained and city fines loomed.
• A homeowner cut power when a chemical smell spread from their water heater.
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