The water heater will still turn on and off to maintain the water temperature inside of the tank. Think about if you have ever gone away for a prolonged period of time. Normally there will be no water use for days or weeks and this causes no problems to the tank.
1 Answer. No it wont hurt the water heater.
The water can stay hot in the water heater without power for about two days. This depends on which material your tank is made of because it only affects insulators. An inexpensive tank may not keep your water hot for a long time. As the hot water is used, it is replaced by cold water.
There are several reasons why you may need to turn off the gas supply to your water heater. For example, if you are planning to replace a water heater, you will need the gas off to do so. Still, there are more important—and more urgent—reasons you may need to do this.
Turn the gas shut off valve back to the “Open” position. Then, turn the gas control knob to the pilot setting, which should be marked clearly on the knob. Again, this may require slightly depressing the knob and rotating it. Once on the pilot setting, press down on the knob.
Turn the knob on your furnace to “OFF.” This will stop the flow of gas into the room. Wait at least 5 minutes to allow any remaining gas in the air to dissipate. This step is extremely important to prevent the risk of fire. Hold down the reset button and relight the pilot at the same time.
If the pilot light goes out, the gas will stop flowing and your unit will shut off. When heating is required, the gas control valve releases the gas into the main burner where the pilot light ignites the gas. Apart from lighting the main burner, the pilot light also provides warmth to the thermocouple.
Even if the pilot light goes out and the gas is left running, it is usually not enough to cause danger. In this situation, the gas should be shut off and the area, whether it is an open room or a gas fireplace insert, should be allowed to air out.
A conventional gas tank water heater, such as one powered by propane, can take 30–40 minutes to heat water if it's starting with an empty tank.
Electric is hooked up to the gas water heater in order to create the spark for the pilot light to activate. However, once the pilot light is lit, it will continue to burn. So, electricity is not necessarily needed for the gas water heater to function properly.
Average Water Heater Recovery Times
60-70 minutes (for a gas tank water heater) 120 minutes (for an electric tank water heater)
Why Is My Water Heater Constantly Running? In the average home, the water heater will run for about three hours each day. Total run time can range from one to two hours for new tankless water heaters to five or more hours for older tank style water heaters.
A basic water heater will run three to five hours a day to keep its tank heated 24/7. That's going to cost you.
The simplest way to tell if the gas supply is off is to check the position of the gas shutoff valve lever. If the lever is perpendicular to the supply pipe, the gas supply is switched off. If it's parallel to the line, the supply is on.
Gas appliances have pilot lights that stay lit at all times to burn off excess natural gas coming through the system. If you need to perform maintenance, turning off the pilot light is as simple as turning off the gas supply to the appliance.
Now you know where your meter is, you can turn off your gas supply should you need to in an emergency situation, or if advised to do so. Open your gas meter box and locate the red tap handle near to the pipe. This is the emergency control valve (ECV).
Do not shut off the gas unless you smell gas, hear gas escaping, see a broken gas line or suspect a gas leak. If you shut off the gas, there may be a considerable delay before PG&E can turn your service back on.
Relight the pilot light.
Turn the knob to “Pilot,” and let gas to flow to the pilot. Light a lighter or match, then push in the reset button. Hold your flame to the pilot light's opening. Keep the reset switch depressed until the pilot light is burning steadily.
Absolutely! We can send a gas service technician to light your pilot, and conduct a gas safety check of your gas fireplace or any other gas appliance to ensure your safety. You can schedule an appointment by logging into Your Account and selecting the Service Requests tab.
The Cost of Relighting the Pilot Light
Additionally, a pilot light can blow out over time. A plumber can help reignite the pilot light. They will charge you an hourly fee of $40 to $150. This is usually a fairly brief project, and may just take an hour.
Tankless water heaters typically have a lifespan of 20 years or more. Traditional water heaters with standing water tanks can last around 10 to 15 years before you notice signs of age.
If you've replaced your water heater within the past few years, you may have been surprised to learn that your new unit doesn't use a traditional standing pilot light. As with furnaces, most new gas water heaters no longer use pilot lights for ignition and instead typically use some type of electronic igniter.
It is unusual for used water heaters to last 30 years. Most tank water heaters have an average lifespan of 8 to 12 years, and tankless water heaters can last as long as 20 years.
The average adult uses about 10 gallons of water per shower (at a rate of 2 gallons of water per minute). If you assume that an 80-gallon tank has about 55 gallons of hot water to dispense before refilling, that means you have 27 or so minutes of total shower time before running out of hot water.