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Crazy heater behavior after the power company turned the gas off and back on

Crazy heater behavior after the power company turned the gas off and back on


  #1  
Old 12-02-22, 11:50 PM
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Question Crazy heater behavior after the power company turned the gas off and back on

SDG&E had to turn the gas off while replacing some pipes. When they knocked on my door to tell me that the gas was back on, I tried to run my heater, but there was no gas no flame no heat. One of their guys came to take a look, and discovered that the pilot light has gone out in the water heater, which is in a shed attached to the carport. Once he lit the pilot light on the water heater, the heater inside the house started working! Can anyone explain why it happened this way?
 
  #2  
Old 12-03-22, 12:37 AM
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The gas line was air bound. He purged the air out of the line at the water heater.
 
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  #3  
Old 12-03-22, 04:02 AM
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The pilot light operates on gas. It went out when they turned the gas off. If the heater control doesn't have automatic ignition, the pilot light needs to be manually started when gas is restored for the heater to operate. If the heater control is non-electric, the pilot light stays on even when the heater is not heating.
 
  #4  
Old 12-03-22, 08:11 AM
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Pretend like I have no clue about these things, lol… How would air get into the pipes, and how would lighting the pilot light on the water heater make the house heater suddenly able to get gas again?
 
  #5  
Old 12-03-22, 08:44 AM
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Air got in while the gas company was replacing pipes. When opening gas lines you have to bleed any air pockets out that were introduced while the lines were open.
After the water heater was bled, your house had a good supply of natural gas again with no more air pockets.
 
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  #6  
Old 12-03-22, 11:54 AM
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SDG&E forgot to bleed out air pockets? Most expensive power in the country, sigh… What did they do to bleed the air out from the water heater, is it something only they can do, or something a regular person could try to do if there was a future need?
 
  #7  
Old 12-03-22, 01:00 PM
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You have to bleed it at the end of the line, it’s not something you can easily do in the middle.
You have to open a gas line or take out a test port to bleed the line.
 
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  #8  
Old 12-03-22, 03:29 PM
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OK, so… How did he do it while lighting the pilot light for my water heater? He didn't go anywhere else or do anything else…?
 
  #9  
Old 12-03-22, 03:35 PM
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Probably pulled a test port or opened the pilot line.
 
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