Smell of gas? Read this first

Gas Leak Repair Brighton CO

If you smell gas, leave the building before you do anything else. The repair comes after the utility says it is safe.

Leave first
Call 911 and the utility
Permit required for repairs

Call (720) 953-7060Do not call from inside the building. Leave first.

If You Smell Gas in Brighton, Do This in Order

Do not touch switches, lighters or phones inside. A spark can ignite gas.
Leave the building with everyone, including pets. Leave the door open if you can do it as you go.
From outside, call 911, then your gas utility. In Brighton, natural gas comes from Xcel Energy. Use the emergency number on your gas bill or on the Xcel website.
Stay out until the utility clears it. Do not re-enter to get something.
Call a licensed plumber afterward for repair and pressure testing if the leak was on your side of the meter.

Gas Leak Repair in Brighton, CO After the Utility Clears It

The gas utility owns the line up to the meter. Everything after the meter is the property owner's, and that is where a licensed plumber works. Repairs can include replacing a corroded fitting, a flex connector on a dryer or range, a failed valve or a section of black iron pipe.

Gas piping repair is permit work, so ask the plumber who files and confirm with the City of Brighton permitting page. After repair, the line is normally pressure tested and inspected before gas is turned back on.

Common leak points

Flexible appliance connectors on dryers, ranges and water heaters
Shutoff valves that have never been operated
Threaded joints on black iron that loosened as the house settled on clay soil
Outdoor lines for grills, fire pits and generators
Corroded sections near the meter

Gas Leak Repair Brighton CO: Why You Leave the House Instead of Looking for the Leak

Gas leak repair Brighton CO homeowners need starts outside the house. The urge to find the source is strong. Do not follow it. A gas leak is not a plumbing problem you solve while standing in the middle of it.

Leave through the nearest door and get everyone out, including pets.
Do not flip a light switch, use a garage door opener, start a car in an attached garage or ring a doorbell on the way out.
Get well away from the building, then call 911 from outside.
Call Xcel Energy, the gas utility for Brighton addresses. The City says it provides neither gas nor electricity, so check your bill for the right utility name.
Stay outside until the utility says it is clear. Do not go back for a phone or wallet.

Natural gas has no smell in its raw state. Utilities add a sulfur odor so you can detect it. It is lighter than air and rises, while propane is heavier and sinks into low spots like basements and crawl spaces. Either way, the answer is the same.

No Switches, No Sparks: What Can Ignite Gas Inside a Brighton Home

Light switches, thermostats and garage door openers
Ringing doorbells and cordless phone bases
Pilot lights and lit candles
Cars started in an attached garage

Do not test any of these to see whether they are safe. Move outside first, and keep the door open as you leave if you can do it without stopping.

Some homes have both natural gas and a propane tank for a grill or a shop. A smell coming from the yard or a tank is still a call to the propane supplier and 911, not a repair for the yard.

After Xcel Clears It: Gas Line Repair Brighton CO Homes Need Before Gas Comes Back On

The plumber's work starts only after the utility clears the house. The utility handles the line up to the meter. The utility can shut off service at the meter if the leak is on your side, and it generally will not restore gas until the house piping is repaired and passes a test. That is the point where a licensed plumber steps in.

The plumber finds the leak with a bubble solution or an electronic detector, not by smell alone.
The bad fitting, connector or section is replaced with the correct material for the job.
The line is pressure tested. Gas piping work needs a permit and inspection, and the City adopted the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code effective January 1, 2023.
After the inspection passes, the utility relights service.
Appliance pilots are relit by a person qualified to do it.

At Brighton's elevation of about 4,984 feet, some gas appliances need altitude settings, so a plumber servicing a range, dryer or water heater should check the manufacturer's high altitude instructions.

For appliance-specific problems see water heater repair and the gas line page.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms and Colorado Law After a Brighton Gas Problem

Gas leaks and carbon monoxide are two different hazards. A leak is unburned fuel. Carbon monoxide comes from a fuel-fired appliance that burns badly, a blocked flue or an idling car in a garage. You cannot smell it.

Colorado law, C.R.S. 38-45-102, requires working CO alarms within 15 feet of sleeping room entrances when a home has a fuel-fired appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. Sellers must comply.

Test alarms monthly and replace them by the date on the back.
If an alarm sounds, get everyone outside, call 911, and do not go back in until firefighters clear it.
After any gas appliance repair, ask the plumber whether the flue and venting were checked.

A gas leak repair Brighton CO plumber will ask you to leave until the utility has cleared the home. A gas leak plumber Brighton CO residents call after that clearance does the piping and the pressure test, and the alarms protect you between visits.

Where This Applies Across Brighton

Calls for this work come from every part of Brighton, and the details change by area. Start with the Brighton plumbing service area for ZIP codes and the Adams and Weld County split, then read the notes for Todd Creek Village or Brighton Crossings. Related work sits under the emergency plumber overview.

A Brighton Family and a Gas Leak in the Basement

Local case study

Brighton, September 2017: Gas From the Outside Line Reached the Basement

In September 2017, FOX31 Denver reported that a Brighton, Colorado family had a narrow escape. A leak on the outside gas line to the meter sent gas about 45 to 50 feet along the ground and into the basement through window wells.

The family smelled the odorant and left. Xcel Energy found the leak. Nobody was injured.

Lesson: gas from an outside line can end up in a basement, so leave first and call after. Read what to do if you smell gas, then call the line and describe the problem.

Plumbing problem in Brighton?

Gas smell cleared and you need the line checked or repaired? Call for a licensed plumber.

Call (720) 953-7060

Call (720) 953-7060 and describe what you see. The same call covers gas leak plumber Brighton CO and gas leak plumber Brighton CO.

Gas Leak Questions From Brighton

What should I do first if I smell gas?

Leave the building immediately without using switches, lighters or phones inside. From outside, call 911 and then your gas utility. Do not go back in until the utility says it is safe.

Who do I call for a gas leak in Brighton?

911 first, then Xcel Energy, which provides natural gas in Brighton. The number is on your bill and on the Xcel website. A licensed plumber handles repair after the meter once the utility has cleared it.

Does a plumber repair gas lines in Brighton?

Yes, licensed plumbers repair and install gas piping on the house side of the meter. Gas line work is permit work, so ask who files it.

How much does gas leak repair cost?

It depends on where the leak is and what has failed. Replacing a flex connector costs much less than replacing a section of black iron pipe. The plumber should diagnose, pressure test and quote before starting.

What does a gas leak smell like?

Utilities add a sulfur or rotten egg smell to natural gas. A hissing sound near a line or dead grass around an outdoor line is also a sign. Any of these is a reason to leave.

Can I fix a gas leak myself?

Do not. Colorado law has an exemption for owners working on their own home, but gas is the wrong place to learn. A fitting tightened without a pressure test can still leak, and the work is permit work. Call a licensed plumber.

Should I turn off the gas myself?

No. Leave the building first and let the utility shut off the gas at the meter.

Is natural gas different from propane when it leaks?

Natural gas is lighter than air and rises. Propane is heavier and sinks into basements and low spots, where it can collect. Both are given a sulfur odor. Both call for the same response: leave, do not touch switches, call 911 from outside, and wait for the supplier or utility to clear the home.

Why does my gas meter have a hissing sound?

A faint hiss at the meter can be normal flow at the regulator. A loud hiss, a smell of gas near the meter, or dead grass and bubbling in wet soil around a buried line is not normal. Move away, call 911 from a safe distance, and call the utility. Do not try to tighten fittings yourself.

Do I need a permit for gas line repair in Brighton?

Gas piping repair is permit work in Brighton, and the City adopted the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code effective January 1, 2023. Ask the plumber who files, get the permit number, and expect an inspection and pressure test before gas is turned back on.

What should a carbon monoxide alarm sound like, and what do I do?

A CO alarm sounds a repeating beep pattern that differs from the smoke alarm chirp, so read your model's manual. If it goes off, get everyone outside, call 911, and stay out until firefighters clear the house. Do not silence it and go back in. Then have every fuel-fired appliance checked.

Talk to a plumber

Call and describe what is happening. You will hear next steps on the call.