Gas Leak Repairs Christchurch

A gas leak is one of the few household problems where minutes matter. In Christchurch that gas is LPG, whether it comes from bottles, a bulk tank or a piped LPG supply. LPG has an odour added so you can smell a leak, and if you can smell it, there is enough present to take seriously.

We respond to gas leaks around the clock across Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri. We make the area safe, find the leak with proper test equipment, repair or replace the faulty pipe, fitting, regulator or appliance part, pressure test the installation and certify the work before the gas goes back on.

Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.

Gas Leak Repairs Jobs We Handle Across Christchurch

• Gas leak repair
• Smell of gas
• Gas leak detection
• Regulator replacement
• Pipe joint leaks
• Appliance gas leaks

What to do if you smell gas

Do these things in this order, and do not wait to see if the smell goes away.

• Do not switch lights or appliances on or off, and do not use a lighter or matches
• If you can do it safely, turn off the LPG at the bottle valves or the bulk tank, or at the meter on a piped supply
• Open doors and windows on your way out
• Get everyone, including pets, outside and away from the building
• Call us from outside, and call 111 if the smell is strong or there is any fire
• Do not go back in until a gasfitter says it is safe

Why LPG leaks behave differently

LPG is heavier than air. A leak does not drift up and out through a ceiling; it sinks and collects at low points, under suspended timber floors, in sub-floor spaces, down basement stairs and in garden hollows near the bottles. That is why we look low first, and why a detector for an LPG home is mounted close to the floor rather than on the ceiling.

It also means a leak can sit unnoticed under a house while the rooms above smell only faintly. If you notice the smell near floor vents or around the bottles outside, treat it the same as a smell in the kitchen.

How It Works

Signs of a gas leak

The rotten egg smell is the main sign, but not the only one. Listen for hissing near pipes, regulators or appliances. Watch for burners with lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, pilot lights that keep going out, or bottles running out much faster than your usual pattern. Headaches, dizziness or nausea that ease when you leave the house can point to carbon monoxide from a faulty appliance, such as an LPG heater, and need the same urgent response.

How we find and fix the leak

We isolate the supply and pressure test the installation to confirm there is a leak and how big it is. Then we narrow it down section by section, using electronic gas detectors and leak detection fluid on joints, valves, regulators, pigtails and appliance connections. Common culprits are perished pigtail hoses at the bottles, damaged regulators, old threaded joints, corroded steel pipe and worn appliance valves.

Once we find it, we repair or replace the faulty part, retest the whole installation, relight and check every appliance, and issue a Gas Certificate of Compliance. If an appliance is unsafe and cannot be fixed on the spot, we disconnect it, tell you why in writing and can quote for gas appliance repairs or a replacement.

Bottles, bulk tanks and piped LPG in Christchurch

Most Christchurch homes run on LPG bottles or a bulk tank, while some streets have a piped LPG network fed from storage at Woolston. Who to call depends on where the leak is. Anything on your side of the regulator or meter is the owner's responsibility and is gasfitting work. A fault at the bottle valve itself, or on the network side of a piped supply, also needs your gas supplier told.

Christchurch also had a town coal-gas network from the 1860s until the early 1980s, reaching all but the outer suburbs. Older houses in long-established suburbs such as Linwood may still have pipe from that era in the walls or under the floor. Old steel pipe that has corroded along its length is better replaced with new gas fitting than patched joint by joint, and any redundant pipe should be properly capped.

Cost and call-outs

Gas leaks are part of our 24/7 emergency service, and real people answer the phone. The cost depends on the time of day, how long it takes to find the leak and the parts needed. We give you the price for the repair once the leak is found and before we fix it, unless an immediate repair is the only way to make the site safe.

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