There may be a gas, combustion, electrical, or active leak hazard
Gas odor, a carbon-monoxide alarm, smoke, sparking, burning odor, or water near electrical equipment requires evacuation or emergency response before troubleshooting hot water.
Why this result fits
- A gas or burning odor, alarm, smoke, sparking, or unusual heat is present.
- Water may be leaking near a heater or electrical source.
- The issue could affect more than water temperature.
What to do now
Leave for gas or carbon-monoxide warnings
Move outside to fresh air and call emergency services or the gas utility from a safe location. Treat a CO alarm as real.
Avoid electrical contact
Do not touch wet equipment, outlets, cords, or panels.
Use emergency maintenance
Report the loss of hot water together with the exact odor, alarm, leak, or electrical symptom.
Stop and escalate if
- Anyone has headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or fainting.
- There is smoke, flame, sparking, or a gas odor.
- Water is spreading near electrical equipment.
What not to do
- Do not relight a pilot, open a heater cabinet, or reset safety controls.
- Do not silence a carbon-monoxide alarm and remain inside.
- Do not keep running hot taps to test the system.
Message you can send to maintenance
Urgent: there is no hot water and I observed [gas odor/CO alarm/burning odor/smoke/sparking/leak near equipment]. We moved to a safe location and contacted [emergency service/gas utility] as appropriate.
Help prevent a repeat
- Know the location and sound of carbon-monoxide alarms.
- Report heater leaks, soot, unusual odors, and repeated shutdowns immediately.
If this does not match
Sources and review date
- Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Home Maintenance — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense
Content last reviewed: under the Apartmentwise methodology.