Gas accidentally shut off

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HawkeyeScott

HawkeyeScott

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In prepping for her vacation last week, a friend meant to shut off her water but instead turned off her gas. She then checked her kitchen sink and figured out she'd got the gas and not the water. So she turned the water off and then the gas back on.

So did her pilot light go out on her hot water heater? Does it immediately flame out or is there a temporary feed of gas that would have kept it lit?

I told her I'd check while she's gone. (I plan on checking it by turning the water back on and seeing if what's in the hot water heat is actually hot or not by running it at the kitchen sink. If I get hot water, I know I'm good.)

This is not my main area of expertise so any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
For starters, we don't know if the gas appliances are run off gas pilot or electric start. If they are electric start, there should be no worry.

What is serviced by gas besides the water heater?... stove?... furnace?

If they are run off gas pilot, there could be a number of different scenarios - some of them dangerous.

I recently used up a stove that had gas pilot. If the pilots went out, gas seeped into the house. This is dangerous.

Most units, including furnaces and water heaters, have a shutoff system for the pilot. If the gas is shut off, the pilot goes out and must be relit. The heat of the pilot light keeps a valve open to keep the pilot fed with gas.

In your case, it is best to keep the gas valve shut off until she returns, then get someone familiar with gas appliances to help you. I believe the gas company will gladly come out to help you.

It's probably just as well that she made the mistake. A dangerous thing to do is to shut off the water but leave the water heater on. This is an explosion hazard.
 
I had a gas company person tell me that if your pilot light goes out the gas that continues to flow would go up your chimney. Dunno but that's what he said.

John
 
The pilot light would not go out right away, but would after if had consumed the pressure in the gas line. maybe 1 min or 2

All gas appliances have a thermocouple safety shut off. If the thermocouple does not detect heat from the pilot light, it shuts off the supply of gas. Electric start units do not need a thermocouple, and as far as I know most new units are now electric start.

Anything else would be extremely dangerous...
 
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Older gas ranges don't use thermocouples on the stovetop burner pilot lights- those are about the only things that might potentially be leaking gas now. If the range has electric start, no worries. Water heaters have had thermocouple pilot light shut-offs since the 40s if not forever. Once the pilot light goes out, the gas will stay OFF until the thermocouple is heated- that's why the procedure to light the pilot on a water heater is such a PITA- you have to hold down the thermocouple override button to turn on the gas to the pilot light, then you have to hold it for a minute or so while the pilot light heats up the thermocouple.
 
She'd probably be pretty upset if she came home to a blown up house. For her sake and mine, I think I'll call the gas company.

Do they charge for calls like this? Again, new to me...
 
Originally Posted By: HawkeyeScott
In prepping for her vacation last week, a friend meant to shut off her water but instead turned off her gas.


How could she mistake the two ?? I don't have a main gas shut-off inside the house, it is outside.... the valves are totally different.
I would call the gas company to be sure all is OK if there is any question, you don't want to be accountable for that potential mess if things go wrong.

Are you talking about the water main valve or the shut-off on the heater?


I probably should have deleted this post before submitting ....
 
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I just spoke with her. She was never outside. So the main gas line was never shut off. Her first try was turning a lever coming out of a pipe that was in the wall NEAR the water heater. She says the pipe does not go directly to the water heater.

This is what she thought was the gas line.

Now, any idea what that would be? (This is confusing to me because that would be the exact description for the water shut off at my house. So I'm not sure what she was turning. Whatever it is, she swears she still had water after she turned it.)

Thanks a lot.
 
Could be 1/4 turn gas or 1/4 turn water for boiler zone. But, It would be silly to diagnose from this forum. Get someone who KNOWS this stuff to go with you to the house OR have the Gas Co meet you there. If this thread goes any further I call: troll.
 
I hope that this thread is a teaching moment. If there are any of you out there that don't know what the valves in your basement are for, please take the time to get someone with knowledge to help you identify and tag everything. It's like owning a car and never opening the hood. (Bonnet to you Brits.)The properties of nat gas differ from LPG. Nat gas rises, Up through the flue, LPG falls to the floor. Most all gas appliances will shut off the pilot if the thermocouple flame goes out.The only one to check carefully would be the range. Upon relighting, get someone to show you the procedure if you don't know how. FWIW-- Oldtommy
 
What a weird think to call troll on. Are you serious?

Thanks for those of you who weighed in. I always get good help on this forum, about many different things.
 
Originally Posted By: 2oldtommy
I hope that this thread is a teaching moment. If there are any of you out there that don't know what the valves in your basement are for, please take the time to get someone with knowledge to help you identify and tag everything. It's like owning a car and never opening the hood. (Bonnet to you Brits.)The properties of nat gas differ from LPG. Nat gas rises, Up through the flue, LPG falls to the floor. Most all gas appliances will shut off the pilot if the thermocouple flame goes out.The only one to check carefully would be the range. Upon relighting, get someone to show you the procedure if you don't know how. FWIW-- Oldtommy


+1 Right on tommy !
 
Originally Posted By: HawkeyeScott
What a weird think to call troll on. Are you serious?

Thanks for those of you who weighed in. I always get good help on this forum, about many different things.
Sorry. I guess when you are overly familiar with the house mechanics you assume "everyone" knows this stuff cold. Kinda like when you meet somebody who know nothing at all (correct) about earl. I guess thats 99% of the population
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
I don't have a main gas shut-off inside the house, it is outside.


There is a main gas shutoff inside my house, before the regulator. I have 2PSI gas service; the regulator drops the 2PSI to standard 7" WC, so they can use a 1/2" pipe to feed the regulator.
 
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