Next week, our gas utility company is updating the gas lines to my home, where we have a pretty old gas boiler from about 50-60 years ago. Tomorrow, they'll be running a new line to our house, and then next week they'll finish up by connecting it to the gas meter through our foundation. I'd like to know what happens when they shut off the gas. I know the pilot light will go out, but will it stay out? There's no manufacturer date on our boiler, so I'm unsure if it has a safety shut-off system. Will the boiler automatically restart when the gas is turned back on?
4 Answers
Your boiler might go into lockout mode after a few failed ignition attempts if it's trying to start up when the gas is off. To avoid this, it's a good idea to cut the power to the boiler before they shut the gas off. At 60 years old, it probably has a standing pilot light, so you'd need to relight it afterwards. Also, don’t forget to turn off the gas cock for your boiler and any other appliances to avoid damaging the gas valves during pressure testing.
You'll need to relight the pilot light after the gas is back on. It's likely that the contractors might help out with this, but you should definitely know how to do it yourself—do you know how to relight a pilot light?
Great questions! I'd recommend scheduling an HVAC check-up soon. This way, a professional can show you how to handle situations like the pilot going out and how to maintain your system properly in the future.
When the utility shuts off the gas, typically, a technician will check for any leaks and relight the pilot lights once the gas is back on. They may keep the gas shut off at the meter until they can do these checks with you present, just to be safe.
Exactly, the gas tech usually handles relighting everything and checking for leaks. You'll likely need to be home for that.