Gas leak repair is a 24/7 emergency service in every gas fitting business. The work is the same whether the call comes at 2pm Tuesday or 2am Sunday, the only thing that changes is the callout rate. We have the leak detection equipment and pressure-testing kit in every van and respond within the hour on the Gold Coast.
The step-by-step process
1. Confirm gas is isolated
On arrival we confirm the gas has been shut off at the source (meter for natural gas, bottle valves for LPG). If you have not yet isolated, we do it on arrival. The leak repair cannot start until gas is off.
2. Ventilate the property
Open all doors and windows to dissipate any accumulated gas. For LPG specifically (heavier than air) we pay attention to low-lying areas where gas may have pooled.
3. Locate the leak
We use a combustible gas indicator (CGI), a handheld instrument that detects gas concentrations as low as 10-20 ppm. The CGI is moved around all fittings, joints, regulators and appliance connections to find the source. For underground leaks, we sometimes use ground-listening probes or trace gas (an inert gas pumped through the line with a detector tracking where it escapes).
Most leaks are at fittings, flexi connectors, regulators or appliance valves rather than in the middle of a pipe run. Pipe-run leaks are rare except where there has been physical damage (vehicle impact, garden tool, root pressure).
4. Repair the leak
The repair varies by what failed:
- Flexi connector failure: replace the flexi. $80-180 for the part plus labour.
- Loose fitting: tighten with proper thread sealant. Test, sometimes a fitting needs full replacement if the thread is damaged.
- Cracked regulator: replace the regulator. $200-400 for the part plus labour.
- Failed appliance valve: repair or replace the appliance valve. Varies by appliance.
- Damaged pipe section: cut out and replace with appropriate pipe and fittings.
- Pilot light out (gas storage HWU, wall heater): diagnose why pilot went out, relight, recommission.
5. Pressure test the entire system
This is the critical step. After the repair, we pressure-test the whole gas system (not just the repaired section) with a manometer. The system is pressurised, then we monitor for any pressure drop over time. Any drop indicates another leak somewhere that needs finding before we restart the gas. This step is what catches secondary leaks the homeowner did not notice.
6. Restart the gas
If pressure test passes, we restart the gas at the source. Then we walk through every appliance and confirm proper operation, pilot lights, ignition, flame quality, no error codes.
7. Issue compliance certificate
Every gas repair leaves a gas compliance certificate, just like a new install. Lodged with the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate as required.
Typical cost breakdown
- Business hours emergency callout: $220-380 first hour including travel and diagnosis
- After hours / weekend / public holiday callout: $340-560 first hour
- Simple repair (flexi swap, fitting tighten / replace): $80-280 on top of callout
- Moderate repair (regulator replacement, appliance valve): $200-500 on top
- Complex repair (damaged pipe section, multiple leak points): $400-900+ on top
- Compliance certificate: included
Most gas leak emergency calls end up between $400-980 total. Big-ticket numbers happen when there is significant pipe damage or multiple failure points to repair.
What if you do not call us
Gas leak risks are not abstract. Real outcomes include:
- Fire or explosion (most common in confined spaces where gas concentration reaches lower explosive limit)
- Carbon monoxide poisoning (from gas burning incompletely in poorly-ventilated appliances)
- Asphyxiation (gas displacing oxygen in confined spaces)
- Long-term property damage from undetected slow leaks
The cost of the repair is negligible compared to any of these outcomes. If you smell gas, do not wait.
Will my insurance cover the repair?
Most household insurance policies cover emergency plumbing and gas repair under sudden-failure provisions. We provide an itemised invoice with cause-of-loss documentation for your claim. Slow leaks (where you noticed weeks ago and waited) are sometimes contested.
Why does a gas leak ever happen?
Common underlying causes:
- Age, flexi connectors and seals reach end of life
- Vibration, sometimes from appliances operating, loosens fittings over time
- Physical damage, garden tool, vehicle, root pressure on external pipes
- Poor original installation, unlicensed work especially
- Corrosion, especially on external fittings in coastal homes
- Appliance valve failure with age
Proactive replacement of old flexi connectors and regulators (every 10-15 years on visible fittings) is the cheapest preventative maintenance. We can do this as a planned visit rather than waiting for an emergency.
How the gas distributor side of a leak event works
When you call the emergency line for a gas leak (Australian Gas Networks 1800 GAS LEAK / 1800 427 532 on the Gold Coast for natural gas), the distributor dispatches first response separately from a gas fitter. Their role is to make the situation safe at the meter and the network, not to repair appliance-side issues. They will:
- Isolate gas at the meter
- Lock the meter off so it cannot be turned back on without a compliant repair
- Tag the meter with a non-conformance notice if relevant
- Leave you with the requirement to engage a licensed gas fitter for repair and recommissioning
The distributor will not relight pilots, will not test individual appliances, and will not issue a compliance certificate. That is our scope. Calling both at the same time (distributor first to isolate, us to repair) is the right sequence for a serious leak. For smaller suspected leaks (faint smell, no clear source), call us first and we will diagnose before involving the distributor. The distributor lockout cannot be removed without a licensed gas fitter signing a compliance certificate, so calling them prematurely on a minor issue creates extra hassle.
Common leak sources by house age on the Gold Coast
The pattern of where leaks occur tracks closely with original install age:
- Pre-1990 homes (Southport, Labrador, Surfers older streets, Coolangatta): failed compression fittings on original galvanised pipe, corroded external regulators, perished rubber connectors on appliances that have been swapped twice without updating the connection. The bones of the system are tired.
- 1990-2010 builds (Robina, Pacific Pines, Mudgeeraba estates): flexi connector failures are the dominant cause. Stainless flexi connectors on cooktops and HWUs have a 10-15 year design life and we are well past that on many homes.
- 2010-2020 builds (Coomera, Pimpama, Upper Coomera): early-life leaks are usually installer issues, undertight push-fit joints, missed thread tape on appliance connections, regulators not torqued correctly. Leaks more rare in this cohort because the materials and fittings are modern.
- Apartments any era: stack risers in older buildings show leaks at fitting junctions. Common-area leaks need body corporate involvement and a different repair process.
The flexi connector problem specifically
Stainless braided flexi connectors are the single most common failure point we see and they deserve their own conversation. Used on every cooktop and most HWUs since the late 1990s, they have a manufacturer-stated 10-year design life but many installs are still running on original 15-20 year old flexis. Failure modes:
- Rubber inner liner perishes and develops pinhole leaks at the crimp
- Stainless braid corrodes (especially in salt-air coastal homes) and starts shedding strands
- Crimp connection loosens with thermal cycling, slow leak develops
- Connector kinked during original install, internal damage that takes years to surface
Proactive replacement of all visible flexi connectors at 10-12 year intervals is $80-180 per connector and prevents the emergency callout entirely. We do this as a planned visit, often combined with hot water service or anode replacement, $250-450 for a typical 3-flexi house. Cheap insurance.
What pressure testing actually measures and why it matters
The post-repair pressure test is what separates a proper gas repair from a quick patch. We isolate the system at the meter, pressurise to test pressure (typically 7 kPa for natural gas residential, higher for some LPG scenarios), and observe the manometer for any drop over a defined period (5 minutes minimum, 10-30 minutes for larger systems). Acceptable drop per AS5601 is zero for the test duration.
If we see any drop, we know there is another leak somewhere on the system that we have not yet found. We work back through the network with the gas detector, isolating sections, until we identify the secondary leak. Then we repair that one and test again. The process repeats until zero pressure drop is confirmed.
Skipping or shortening this test is the most common shortcut taken by underqualified operators. The owner gets a repaired primary leak, a restarted gas system, and a secondary slow leak that surfaces weeks or months later as a higher gas bill or eventually a serious incident. We never short the test, every gas repair we sign gets the full pressure validation.
When the smell turns out not to be gas
Around one in five gas leak callouts we attend turn out to be something else, sewer gas seeping past a dried-out trap, a sulphur smell from hot water reacting with anode metals, or a chemical odour from a recent cleaning product. We still do the full leak check (better safe than sorry) but the resolution is different. Costs are the callout fee plus diagnosis time, typically $220-380, no compliance certificate needed because no gas work was done.
The most common false positive is sewer gas from a dried-out floor waste trap, especially in laundries or ensuite bathrooms that are not used regularly. The trap water evaporates over weeks and sewer gas (which contains hydrogen sulphide, a strong rotten-egg smell similar to mercaptan added to LPG) drifts back into the room. Fix is to run water down the trap for 30 seconds and the smell stops within hours. We tell owners about this if we suspect it during the diagnostic visit so they can rule it out themselves first.
The carbon monoxide angle nobody talks about
Beyond gas leaks themselves, carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete gas combustion is the silent risk most Gold Coast homeowners do not think about. CO is odourless, colourless, and lethal at concentrations above a few hundred parts per million. It comes from gas appliances burning incorrectly, blocked exhaust flues on gas storage HWUs, cracked heat exchangers on indoor gas heaters, or poor ventilation around any gas appliance.
We carry CO detectors on every gas service visit and test appliance exhausts as standard. If we find elevated CO at any flue, the appliance is shut down until repaired or replaced. Indoor gas heaters in older Surfers and Burleigh units are the most common source. Homeowners with indoor gas heating should get an annual CO check, $180-280 for the visit, far cheaper than a CO incident.
Battery-powered CO alarms ($35-80) are cheap insurance for any home with gas appliances. Install at sleeping-area level (CO is roughly the same density as air, drifts at all heights). Most major Australian alarm brands (Quell, Cavius, Brooks) make CO models. We recommend them as standard for any gas home.
What to do in the moments after smelling gas
Quick reference for owners who are smelling gas right now:
- Do not flick switches or use anything electrical. A spark in a gas-filled room can ignite. This includes light switches, range hood fans, and mobile phones.
- Open windows and doors to ventilate.
- Turn off the gas at the meter or bottle. Meter shutoff is the lever or valve on the meter (usually external front boundary). LPG bottles have a knob at the bottle top.
- Get everyone outside. Especially children, pets, anyone elderly or with breathing issues.
- Call from outside. Either the distributor emergency line for natural gas, or our number for any gas issue. We respond within the hour on the Gold Coast and have all leak detection kit on board.
- Do not re-enter until told it is safe.