"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
peter wrote:
When I stand right next to the water heater, I smell a little bit of
gas at certain height. If I move to 1 foot away, I no longer can
smell it.
See this photo:
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/990857
The red ellipse shows where I smell the gas. I smell some at lower
spots, but it's not continuous, meaning when I go lower, I don't
smell it, then I smell it, ...

I assume it has been like this during the last year, and there is no
cumulation of natural gas (like I said, only can smell it within a
foot). So I wonder, is it normal for a water heater with pilot light
to emit some natural gas odor, or should I try to seal all the pipe
joints?

How long has the water heater been there? Was it a replacement or a
new install?

It is a replacement water heater installed about 1 year ago. If I turn off
the gas valve on the water heater itself, then the smell is gone.

Then I turn it to the pilot lighting setting and lit the pilot. Immediately
after this I stuck my nose near the control box (where the valve, lighting
button, and the temperature control is mounted) and smell gas.

I think it's safe (dangerous?) to say the leak comes from that control box.
And it's only 1 year old. The water heater is made by state industries
(http://www.stateind.com/).