First I would like to thank LarryG for your response to my previous post. Since I have been paying attention to the hot water heater I have been noticing a very slight gas odor from the area around the pilot. I have to put my nose right up to it to smell it and can't smell the gas just by standing by the hot water heater. Is this a normal thing with gas water heaters or should I have someone out to check it out? I also notice that the gas odor is a little stronger when I turn up the thermostat and the burners come on and this odor dissipates quickly. FYI, I was able to detect a slight gas odor from our previous hot water heater as well. Thanks.
COMMUNITY FORUM
For peace of mind you can call the gas company and they will check for leaks free of charge. Better safe than sorry right?
Thank you again LarryG. I have the gas company coming out this afternoon to make sure there are no leaks. I have read different things about the odor I am smelling and some say this is normal for some gas hot water heaters and others say that you shouldn't smell any gas smell.
Just an update on what the gas company found. There is a small leak under the pilot button control and this is where I was smelling the gas odor. We were told it wasn't an immediate safety issue and is common in hot water heaters. We are replacing our hot water heater this week since it is 10 years old. Thanks again LarryG.
