Two or three times in the nearly four years we've lived in this house
I've had to relight the pilot in our gas water heater -- including this
morning when we realized that our water was cold.

This afternoon I went into the utility/furnace room to get something and
was greeted by a strong smell of gas -- and of course the pilot was out
again.

Is it possible that this was caused by running the attic fan to get some
air circulating in the attic while I did some work up there -- that the
fan was sucking so much air down the water-heater chimney that it blew
the flame out? The fan is mounted in the ceiling blowing air out of the
house into the roof space -- and in this case out through the access
hatch (in the garage) which was open. I didn't have any windows or doors
open at the time.

Perce

On Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:11:24 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
wrote:

Two or three times in the nearly four years we've lived in this house
I've had to relight the pilot in our gas water heater -- including this
morning when we realized that our water was cold.

This afternoon I went into the utility/furnace room to get something and
was greeted by a strong smell of gas -- and of course the pilot was out
again.

Is it possible that this was caused by running the attic fan to get some
air circulating in the attic while I did some work up there -- that the
fan was sucking so much air down the water-heater chimney that it blew
the flame out? The fan is mounted in the ceiling blowing air out of the
house into the roof space -- and in this case out through the access
hatch (in the garage) which was open. I didn't have any windows or doors
open at the time.

Perce

Yes. Don't do that. It's called down drafting, and not only can it
blow out the pilot, it can suck carbon monoxide that is supposed to go
up the chimney into your house. Never run the attic fan without a
window open far enough to supply make-up air.

You have another problem. If the pilot goes out, the safety should
shut off the gas, including the gas to the pilot. Get this checked
right away. The alternative is rapid-disassembly mode.

HTH,

Paul F.

On Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:11:24 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
wrote:

Two or three times in the nearly four years we've lived in this house
I've had to relight the pilot in our gas water heater -- including this
morning when we realized that our water was cold.

This afternoon I went into the utility/furnace room to get something and
was greeted by a strong smell of gas -- and of course the pilot was out
again.

Is it possible that this was caused by running the attic fan to get some
air circulating in the attic while I did some work up there -- that the
fan was sucking so much air down the water-heater chimney that it blew
the flame out? The fan is mounted in the ceiling blowing air out of the
house into the roof space -- and in this case out through the access
hatch (in the garage) which was open. I didn't have any windows or doors
open at the time.

Perce


You have a bigger problem than the pilot going out if you are smelling
gas. When the pilot goes out the gas valve should shut down all flow
of gas to the pilot assembly. I'd get this checked before your house
explodes.

On 09/07/07 05:58 am Joseph Meehan wrote:

First, that access hatch in the garage should be closed all the time.
It is a safety feature. In the event of a fire in the garage it keeps
the fire from rapidly spreading to the attic area and from there to the
entire home.

The access hatch in the grage was open only so that I could get into the
attic and work there. It's closed at other times.

The attic should be well vented. If not you need more vents.

Never run the attic fan without a lot of your windows open. It can
cause the very problem you have observed. That problem is also a safety
issue.

If you care about your family and your home, you will be more careful
in the future.


Never previously having had a home with an attic fan, I had no idea what
the rules for operation are -- no instructions next to the switch. Now I
know.

Perce

On 09/07/07 09:10 am Water Heater Dude wrote:

Two or three times in the nearly four years we've lived in this house
I've had to relight the pilot in our gas water heater -- including this
morning when we realized that our water was cold.

This afternoon I went into the utility/furnace room to get something and
was greeted by a strong smell of gas -- and of course the pilot was out
again.

Is it possible that this was caused by running the attic fan to get some
air circulating in the attic while I did some work up there -- that the
fan was sucking so much air down the water-heater chimney that it blew
the flame out? The fan is mounted in the ceiling blowing air out of the
house into the roof space -- and in this case out through the access
hatch (in the garage) which was open. I didn't have any windows or doors
open at the time.

You have a bigger problem than the pilot going out if you are smelling
gas. When the pilot goes out the gas valve should shut down all flow
of gas to the pilot assembly. I'd get this checked before your house
explodes.


But isn't that a temperature-controlled thing? AFAIK, the pilot light
heats a sensor that signals thats it's OK to let the gas flow. If the
pilot light goes out, the sensor stays warm enough for a little while to
allow a small amount of gas to flow.

There was no smell of gas when I relit the pilot yesterday morning, so
gas is not continuing to flow the whole time.

I mentioned "a strong smell of gas", but I should point out that I have
a very sensitive nose (many years working in a chem. lab) and smell
things that others don't. (OTOH, my wife has a lousy sense of smell but
hears things that nobody else does.)

Perce

"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
news


But isn't that a temperature-controlled thing? AFAIK, the pilot light
heats a sensor that signals thats it's OK to let the gas flow. If the
pilot light goes out, the sensor stays warm enough for a little while to
allow a small amount of gas to flow.

That sensor is called a thermocouple and it should be in the pilot light's
flame all the time. They do fail and are easily replacable.

On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:28:00 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
wrote:


I mentioned "a strong smell of gas", but I should point out that I have
a very sensitive nose (many years working in a chem. lab) and smell
things that others don't. (OTOH, my wife has a lousy sense of smell but
hears things that nobody else does.)

Perce

You are guessing. Is your family's life worth a guess? You ar on a
newsgroup asking for advice. Several people gave it to you, whether
you follow it or not is entirely up to you, just make sure you have
your life insurance paid up. Good luck with that.