Homeowner shares urgent advice after calling expert to investigate suspicious smell: 'Next time I might not be so lucky'

A homeowner posted on Reddit about a close call she had when she hesitated to report a possible gas leak.

"Next time I might not be so lucky," shared a commenter who experienced a similarly precarious situation. 

The original poster admitted that she noticed a "smell like a gas station" for several weeks. She thought about calling a maintenance person but admittedly had several excuses for not doing so. 

When she finally called an emergency number, someone was immediately sent out. They disconnected her stove due to a damaged connection piece that was leaking gas. The emergency response person said that the OP was incredibly lucky that nothing bad had happened.

The OP advised other Redditors not to ignore a gas smell for any reason.

Even when operating properly, gas stoves pose health risks. They release pollution that can be harmful to your health. The gas can worsen the air quality inside your home and has been linked to serious health issues that children are particularly susceptible to.

Experts have said that having a gas stove is like a car tailpipe dumping exhaust directly into your home. The smaller and less ventilated the house, the greater the impact. 

Thankfully, there is a safer option.

One solution is to upgrade from gas to induction. Induction stoves heat up quickly, do not produce harmful pollution, and are more energy efficient than gas stoves, so they are healthier for you and the environment.

Although upgrading a major appliance to a more energy-efficient model can be a costly initial investment, the government offers tax rebates of up to $840 through the Inflation Reduction Act. It might be better to act sooner rather than later if these savings motivate you to make the switch, as President Donald Trump has consistently stated that he wants to eliminate these government subsidies. Major changes to the IRA would require an act of Congress, but the future of these incentives is uncertain.

Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Yes — often 😬 Yes — but only sometimes 😕 Only when it's bad outside 😮‍💨 No — I never do 😌 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Upgrading to an induction cooktop benefits the health of your household and the environment. 

Commenters on the Reddit post were empathetic about the OP's hesitation to reach out for help and thankful for the cautionary tale.

"It's up to me to raise a suspicion and it's up to the experts to diagnose," one commenter declared.

"Seconding not ignoring kitchen hazards!" another said.

One Redditor said, "What a miracle you're still alive."

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