Relight a Gas Water Heater

If you live in Lee’s Summit and your gas water heater pilot light has gone out, don’t panic. Here’s a step-by-step guide to relighting it:

• Turn off the gas supply valve by rotating the knob to the “off” position.

• Wait a few minutes for any gas fumes to dissipate before attempting to relight the pilot light.

• Locate the pilot light assembly. It should be near the bottom of the water heater.

• Turn the control knob to the “pilot” position.

• Press and hold the control knob down to start the flow of gas to the pilot light assembly.

• Push in the piezo ignitor button to start the flame. This may take a few attempts.

• Once the pilot light ignites continue holding the control knob down for 30 seconds to allow the pilot light to heat up the thermocouple.

• Release the control knob and turn it to the “on” position.

• Turn the gas supply valve back on.

It’s important to note that if you smell gas, do not attempt to light the pilot light. Instead, turn off the gas supply valve and call a professional to inspect the water heater.

If you’re located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and need assistance with relighting your gas water heater, consider contacting Jerry Miller with your local plumbing company at Advocate Master Plumbing. He can provide expert assistance and ensure that your water heater is operating safely and efficiently.

Water Heater Gas Pipe Drip Leg

A hot water heater gas pipe drip leg is a safety feature of a water heater that is designed to prevent the accumulation of debris and moisture in the gas supply line. This device is a small, vertical pipe that is attached to the gas line and extends downward from the gas valve of the water heater.

The drip leg is usually made of a 6″ steel nipple and has a cap at the bottom that can be opened to remove any accumulated debris or water. This feature helps to prevent the accumulation of sediment, rust, or other particles that can clog the gas supply line or gas control valve and affect the performance of the water heater.

The drip leg is also important for safety reasons because it helps to prevent the flow of gas from being disrupted by any water that may be present in the gas line. Water can cause damage to the gas valve, burner or other components of the water heater, leading to potential gas leaks or even fires.

If you find yourself needing a gas hot water heater replacement or repair please feel free to call your local Lee’s Summit Master Plumber at Advocate Master Plumbing.

Converting to a Gas Range

Converting to a gas range from an electric range is a common homeowner remodel project. Advocate Master Plumbing has performed many gas pipe installation for our plumbing customer s for this purpose. And there are many pros and cons to it. But that’s not what this post is about. We’re going to be discussing the plumbing considerations when converting gas. Just remember to call your local Lee’s Summit plumbers for a safe conversion.

What’s involved in converting to a gas range

After making the choice to convert you’ll need to know what’s involved in the project. There are a few things to look at before beginning. Our master plumbers perform these steps each and every day. These are the basic steps we take:

  1. Choose a range that fits in your counters
  2. Have a gas line installed for your range
  3. Have the electrical outlet changed to accommodate new gas range
  4. Have your gas range installation done by a professional

Choose a range

When choosing a range you’ll have many personal considerations. But on the mechanical side of the project you want to be sure that the new range fits. This is where our professional plumbing services can begin to help. So measure your old electric range and be sure that the new gas range will fit. Be sure that the height is right with your countertops and it will fit flush against the wall.

Have a gas line installed

gas range shut off, gas leak detection
Range gas connections

Next you’ll need a gas pipe installed. A master plumber with gas pipe installation training and certifications will be needed for this part. They’ll have to determine that you have enough gas service for the project. They’ll need to size the gas pipe to your particular home. A gas shutoff will have to be installed directly behind your range. If the new gas pipe is CSST flexible gas pipe it will have to be electrically grounded. And a gas leak test will be needed to confirm it’s safe. Be sure to hire a master plumber.

 

Have the electrical outlet changed

converting to gas range, range electrical outlet
Electric range outlet

Yep. You still need electricity for a gas range. That click you here when turning on a burner is the spark ignitor. It’s electrical. The outlet behind your electric range is too large for the new gas range. You’ll need to hire a professional electrician for this part. But to them this is a simple job. So don’t worry too much.

Have the new range installed

The last thing you’ll need done is having the range installed. If you’ve done all the other steps it will be more cost effective to have the store install it for you. Their installers can usually handle this part. But I tell my plumbing customers to have a professional plumber install it for you. Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of this job. I’m not trying to drum up business. But when attaching a flexible gas connection to the back of a range you can create leaks. These connectors can easily kink. And the installers often don’t realize the flared gas connectors need liquid thread compound applied to them to make a good seal.

Who should I call for a gas pipe installation

At Advocate Master Plumbing we offer full gas pipe installation and repair services. We’ll install a gas termination flange inside the wall to allow for a flush fit. A quarter turn gas shut off will be attached. A gas leak detection will be performed prior to completion. All work will be done to local plumbing code. And all the best materials will be provided to ensure your family’s safety. We also offer hot water heater installations and sump pump replacements!

Lees Summit Heat Loop

Since moving our plumbing service business to Lees Summit, Missouri we’ve tried to downsize our home. Since the business is run out of our home a lot of organization has gone into it. The first of many upgrades to the smaller house I made was to upgrade the water heating system.

I’ve never been a fan of large water heaters. They tend to be a lot of unnecessary upfront expense. And I don’t feel there’s enough value to justify it. I prefer a dual standard tank style water heating system. It’s simple. And if there’s ever a need for maintenance and I’m not around my wife can find help easily.

Dual water heater installation

Installing the dual State 40 gallon natural gas water heating system was pretty straight forward. I opted to install it with both hot and cold water shutoffs in a parallel piping configuration. This allows for hot water to be drawn from both tanks at the same time equally. It also allows us to shut off one water heater in the case of tank failure without losing hot water.

Thermosyphon, hot water recirculating loop, instant hot water
Dual water heaters with thermosyphon

Hot water recirculating options

The next project was installing a hot water loop. I’ve installed hot water recirculating loops before that involved a pump. Some were installed at the time of the home being built. This allows for a pipe to be run to the furthest fixture. But these use a lot of electricity.

And some were retrofitted. They needed special bimetal connectors that cross connect the hot and cold water pipes. But these needed maintenance every few years. They also introduce a little warm water to the cold water side of a plumbing fixture.

I wanted a maintenance free option that was good for the environment. I also wanted a hot water heat loop my wife wouldn’t have problems with if I wasn’t around. So I installed a thermosyphon.

Thermosyphon installation

A thermosyphon is a gravity heat loop. I just like saying thermosyphon. I feel smart when I do. But it’s pretty simple. A thermosyphon is a passive hot water recirculating pipe using convection. A hot water pipe is connected to the bottom of the water heater. It’s then connected to the point in your home that you want instant hot water. In our case it was the kitchen sink.

After running the extra pipe you insulate the whole pipe except for the last 15 feet closest to the bottom of the water heater. Then insulate all the hot water pipe starting at the top of the water heater and ending at the fixture. This will create a situation in which all the hot water pipes in that loop will be hot except that last 15 feet. Since cold water is heavier than hot water, the cold water will fall to the bottom of the water heater. This will push the hot water toward the fixture in the loop. Once the “engine” is started it will run continually.

Benefits of the thermosyphon

The results are instant hot water at our kitchen faucet. We can now turn on our dishwasher and know that it’s hot water cleaning our dishes and not the cooled water that’s in the hot water line due to no recent use. We use a lot less water since we don’t let it run until it’s hot. And there’s no pump. I don’t know the exact figures but I’m sure that the savings on water more than makes up for the extra hot water heating due to the uninsulated section of the heat loop and constant heating of hot water.

Not everyone is a candidate for a thermosyphon. If you have no basement or don’t have enough access to your water pipes, you’ll have to be happy with a hot water recirculating pump. But there are options. There will be more about this on my website plumbing services page later.

Lees Summit hot water recirculating systems

For now, I’ll just say that Lees Summit has been very good to my family and my business. And I’m very grateful. I look forward to serving my plumbing customers and neighbors. And hopefully can offer this new hot water recirculating service to them. For more information about our water heater services go to our water heater services page or water heater DIY page under water heaters.