Quick Tip #25 – Turn That Gas Off

If your home has natural gas or propane appliances, you should know where the gas valves are located and how to turn them off.

All gas appliances are required to have a special valve located on the pipe near the appliance. Look at your gas cooking range – you should see a valve just behind the unit where the flexible connector connects to the pipe. Also, there should be a valve on the side of a gas furnace or gas water heater.

The illustration shows a typical gas valve that is operated with a small wrench. The valve may have a larger handle you can operate with your hand, and in some newer installations there may be a valve with a large handle. In essence they all work the same: when the handle is parallel to the pipe, the gas is on; when perpendicular to the pipe, the gas is off.

Make sure the valves are off and the pipe is capped if your home has a gas supply line with no appliance connected to it. If you ever smell gas in your home, leave immediately.

Call for help from outside your home – you can call the local gas utility or the fire department.

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