Can water be turned off hot-water heater

[Karen]

We are leaving town for a month and want to turn off the water to the hot-water heater. It is natural gas with a pilot light that stays lit all the time. Can the water be turned off without turning off the gas? My husband says this is dangerous because the gas will come on when the water cools down and evaporate it all out and burn the bottom out of the heater or blow up. Could this happen? Any suggestions? Neither one of us can re-light the pilot light

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Turn off the gas and find someone that can relight the pilot. Chances are, nothing would happen, but there is still that possibility of it draining for some reason.

[Doug Kanter]

1) Does you physical condition prevent you from lighting the pilot? If so, what about a neighbor? 2) If you don't want to deal with the pilot light, get close to the temperature knob with a flashlight. Many will have "Vacation" engraved on them, or some other indication of a level which is just shy of actually turning the thing completely off. 3) The water heater is a sealed system, not a pot of water on the stove. Where does your husband think the water will evaporate to? I think you won on this point, and he owes you a foot massage.

By the way, if the heater is very old and on the verge of failing, that would bring you back to #1, the pilot light. Get the foot massage first, and THEN mention this to your husband. :-)

[SQLit]

First start by learning how to relight the pilot. Operating equipment other than the designed way requires an understanding of how the appliance operates. You do not say if this is for a long period of time nor the temperature concerns if any.

On the dial of the water heater that should say "pilot". Move the dial to that setting and then see if the burner comes on. If not you should be able to shut off the water. Given information provided.

[Doug Kanter]

Instead of "on the verge of failing", I should've said "If its age makes you wonder.....". Even so, nobody really knows when the stupid things are going to go belly up.

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

Murphy always knows!

BB

[Bob S.]

It's ironic that we are so concerned about the water heater when we leave the house when there are so many more things that can go wrong.

Two years ago we left for a 4 day minivacation. When we got back we found the house flooded from a broken fill valve in a commode. Over

10,000 gallons of water had run through the house. The sheetrock was wet 3' up the walls. The ground was soggy for 20' around the house. The cleanup & repair bill was $14,000 (thank God for insurance!). So now we turn the water off at the curb (valve on our side of the meter) if we are leaving for more than a day or two.

Bob S.

[MLD]

Do both--shut off the water at the main shutoff valve--usually just before the water meter. Turn off the gas at the water heater. Worry about lighting it in a month when you get back. As a minimum, open the lowest faucets and let the water drain out. If you're in a cold weather climate get some RV Anti-Freeze (Home Depot in Plumbing) and put some in all your sinks, toilet bowls (after flushing so as to empty the tank), washing machine and it's drain trap, dishwasher and showers etc. Where ever you will have standing water. MLD

[m Ransley]

If you live in an area that can reach 20f or so have the water main shut off by the city and drain everything. Heating equipment breaks when you need it , this will prevent freezing pipes. An unocupied house is often denied insurance. Turn off completly the water heater, no the water wont boil out if you dont, it is just safer. Call your insurance broker.

[Doug Kanter]

That asshole! Let's beat the crap outta him! He knew when my laundry sink was gonna overflow, but he didn't say a word.

[Doug Kanter]

Holy shit. :-( I take it you were not pleased.

[Doug Kanter]

They could concoct a perfect story, call the gas company, and tell them their pilot light went out. I don't know about other parts of the country, but here (Rochester NY), they'll stop by at no charge for that kind of stuff, especially if you can make yourself sound really clueless. If you blow up your house, the utility guys have to leave Dunkin' Donuts for longer than if they just helped you with something small.

[willshak]

On 1/14/2005 11:48 AM US(ET), Doug Kanter took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

And then the water bill came!

[Karen]

We are not physically able to lit the pilot light, yes we both know how. We do turn the water off to washing machine, don't have a dishwasher. So if I'm reading the reply's correctly we can turn the water off? I went down and looked, there is no vacation mode, or pilot light only mode. Temperature is not a problem with pipes freezing. Thanks

[Doug Kanter]

Enough. I'm cleaning out all my basement floor drains tomorrow with a magnifying glass and tweezers.

[Art]

There should be a valve where the water main comes into the house. Turn it off there. On the water heater, there should be an arrow that says higher/lower temperature. Turn it as low as possible. Also if you haven't used the water main turn off for a while, turn off the water for a few hours the day before you go just to make sure that valve doesn't leak after being moved for the first time.

[Doug Kanter]

Or, try it a day or two ahead of time, in case the water company needs to come out and deal with the drip.

[barry]

Hi, Karen.

Gas-valve on heater must have separate pilot-only position from "normal-run" or you could get seriously burned/blown-up on lighting pilot. All I've ever seen have sequence "off", "pilot", "on", with valve safety provision that gas can flow to pilot or main burner only after pilot has sufficiently heated a sensor.

If there's possibility of unburned gas near the burner or pilot, you could be seriously injured. That area must be properly ventilated before doing anything else.

Lighting unit: from "off" turn valve selector to pilot; press down- now gas flows to pilot- light it. Some require cover(s) removed and match at pilot- some have piezo-electric igniters (press to make spark.) Keep holding down (maybe for 20-30 sec) until pilot remains on when control is released. Turn to "on" and check t-stat setting. _Now_ you know how to light pilot on lots of heaters. Not rocket-science.

HTH, John

Karen wrote:

insurance

[Matt]

The night before you leave:

First, shut off the water main in your basement. Then, using a hacksaw, cut a notch out of the main supply line. Follow the same procedures with your gas line.

On the morning of departure, turn the water and gas back on, and head off to vacation.

This method is the easiest of all sugegsted ... and it has the added benefit that you won't have to wonder if anything has gone wrong back at home while you were away.

(smiley face)

[Doug Kanter]

Sometimes the problem is one involving installation. In my previous house, the water heater was located in such a way that you had to sort of slide yourself between it and the cinder block wall in order to light the thing. This might be impossible for some people.