Last Updated: May 30, 2026 | By Cogan Plumbing, Licensed Master Plumber
If you smell rotten eggs or sulfur, hear hissing near a gas line, or feel dizzy or nauseated indoors, leave the house immediately, do not flip any switches, and call for help from outside. Cogan Plumbing installs, repairs and leak-tests natural gas lines across Central Arkansas — for water heaters, furnaces, ranges, fireplaces, outdoor grills and generators. We’re a licensed, insured, family-owned company with flat upfront pricing and 24/7 emergency service. For a suspected gas leak, call (501) 317-0637 right away.
Gas line work is not a DIY job
Natural gas powers a lot of a Central Arkansas home — water heaters, furnaces, ranges, fireplaces, outdoor grills, pool heaters, generators. It’s safe and efficient when the lines are installed and maintained correctly. It’s dangerous when they’re not. Gas line work is one area where doing it yourself or hiring an unlicensed handyman is a genuine safety risk: an improper joint, an undersized line or a missed leak can lead to fire, explosion or carbon monoxide exposure.
Cogan Plumbing handles gas line installation, repair and leak detection for homeowners across Pulaski, Saline, Faulkner and Lonoke counties — Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Conway, Cabot, Benton, Bryant and surrounding towns. Licensed, insured, and done to code.
Suspect a gas leak? Do this first
Natural gas is naturally odorless, so utilities add a chemical odorant that smells like rotten eggs or sulfur so leaks can be detected. If you smell it:
- Get everyone out of the house immediately, including pets.
- Do not flip light switches, unplug anything, or use a phone indoors. Any spark is a risk. Don’t light a match, don’t start a car in an attached garage.
- Don’t search for the leak yourself. Leave that to a professional.
- From outside, call for help. Call us, or if the odor is strong, call your gas utility’s emergency line.
- Leave the doors as you found them and wait outside until it’s confirmed safe.
Other warning signs of a leak: a hissing sound near a gas line or appliance, dead or dying plants near a buried line, a higher-than-usual gas bill, and physical symptoms like headache, dizziness or nausea that ease when you leave the house. Our emergency line is staffed 24/7: (501) 317-0637.
Gas line services we provide
- New gas line installation. Running a line to a new range, fireplace, outdoor grill, fire pit, pool heater, or standby generator — sized correctly for the appliance and the run.
- Gas line repair. Fixing corroded, damaged or leaking sections of existing line.
- Leak detection and testing. Locating leaks and pressure-testing lines to confirm they hold.
- Appliance hookups. Safely connecting gas water heaters, furnaces, ranges and dryers.
- Line extensions and rerouting for remodels and additions.
- Capping and removal of lines no longer in use.
Why correct sizing and code matter
A gas line has to be sized for the demand of everything it feeds. A line that’s too small starves appliances of the gas they need to run efficiently and safely — you’ll see weak burner flames and poor performance, and the appliance works harder than it should. Add a new gas appliance to a system that wasn’t planned for it, and you can overload the existing line. This is exactly why a licensed plumber assesses the whole gas system, not just the one connection. Permitting and code compliance aren’t red tape here; they’re the framework that keeps a gas system safe. We do gas work to code, with the proper permits and a pressure test to confirm the line holds before it’s put into service.
Carbon monoxide: the danger you can’t smell
A gas leak you can smell is dangerous. Carbon monoxide — produced by gas appliances that aren’t burning or venting properly — is dangerous and you can’t smell it at all. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea and fatigue. Every Central Arkansas home with gas appliances should have working carbon monoxide detectors, and gas appliances should be checked periodically to confirm they’re burning cleanly and venting correctly. If your detectors go off, treat it like the gas-leak steps above: get out, and call for help from outside.
What you get with Cogan Plumbing
We’re a family-owned company with a licensed master plumber on staff, fully insured, and we do gas work to code with proper permits and testing — not shortcuts. Flat upfront pricing, no overtime charges, and a 24/7 emergency line for suspected leaks. On something as safety-critical as a gas line, licensed and insured is not a nice-to-have; it’s the whole point. Call (501) 317-0637.
Frequently asked questions about gas line services
What does a gas leak smell like?
Natural gas is odorless on its own, so utilities add an odorant that smells like rotten eggs or sulfur. If you notice that smell, treat it as a leak: get everyone out of the house, avoid anything that could spark, and call for help from outside. A hissing sound near a gas line is another warning sign.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Leave the house immediately with everyone, including pets. Do not flip switches, unplug devices, use a phone indoors, or do anything that could create a spark. Don’t try to find the leak yourself. Once safely outside, call us, or call your gas utility’s emergency line if the odor is strong. Our emergency line is available 24/7.
Can I install a gas line myself?
We strongly advise against it. Gas line work is safety-critical — an improper joint, undersized line or undetected leak can cause fire, explosion or carbon monoxide exposure. It also typically requires permits and code compliance. This is work for a licensed, insured plumber who will install it correctly and pressure-test the line before it goes into service.
Why does adding a gas appliance sometimes need a new line?
A gas line is sized for the total demand of the appliances it feeds. Adding a new range, fireplace or generator can exceed what the existing line was designed to carry, which starves appliances and hurts performance and safety. A licensed plumber assesses the whole system to determine whether the existing line can handle the addition or needs to be upgraded.
What is carbon monoxide and how is it different from a gas leak?
A natural gas leak is unburned gas escaping a line, and you can detect it by the added rotten-egg odor. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of gas appliances that aren’t burning or venting properly, and it has no smell at all. Both are dangerous. Every home with gas appliances should have working carbon monoxide detectors.
How often should gas lines be checked?
It’s wise to have your gas system and appliances inspected periodically, and any time you notice a problem, add an appliance, or buy a home with an existing gas system. Regular checks confirm the lines hold pressure and appliances are burning cleanly. If you ever suspect a leak, don’t wait for a scheduled check — call right away.
Do you handle gas lines for outdoor grills, fire pits and generators?
Yes. We run gas lines for outdoor appliances including grills, fire pits, pool heaters and standby generators, sized correctly for the appliance and the distance of the run. We’ll handle the installation to code and test the line before it’s used.
Smell gas? Get outside and call Cogan Plumbing at (501) 317-0637 — 24/7. For installations and non-emergency gas work, call the same number for a free quote.