On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:44:22 -0500, Kurt Ullman
wrote:

Can you turn off the water to a water heater and not turn off the
pilot. I have a water heater where you have to physically light the
pilot and it is a pain to restart when we get back from vacations
(especially when we get back in during the night). So, I was wondering,
any reason I can't turn off the water supply to the filled heater (so if
it goes bad the damage is limited) while keeping the pilot on?

I'd say that the danger of damaging the water heater is slim.

But I wonder about your priorities. Shutting off the water to the
heater will limit water damage to 20-50 gallons or so if a leak should
develop while you're gone.

The pilot, however, is an open flame. It would definitely be an
unusual circumstance, but potentially devastating, if there was a gas
leak.

I'd be shutting off gas in my house before water if I was going to be
gone for a great length of time.

Jim