m Ransley wrote:
Your fire dept and gas company will check it out free, it could be Co
from a poor draft, blocked flue, There are Co-Ng detectors for about 40$
at HD, get it checked out by a pro you obviously dont have your
equipment serviced or cleaned regularly and you should.


No, it;s not normal to smell any gas near a water heater. It needs to
be checked out. You can start checking yourself by applying some soapy
water with a brush to the pipe joints. If there is a leak, you will
see bubbles. It's most likely the problem is before the combustion
occurs, not the exhaust, because the combustion products are odorless.