"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

Turn off the gas and find someone that can relight the pilot. Chances are,
nothing would happen, but there is still that possibility of it draining for
some reason.