"Karen" wrote in message
...
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


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. :-)