What To Do In A Gas Outage

Always report an outage!

Call Central Peace Gas Co-op at 780-864-3873

While rare, a natural gas outage can occur. Power outages can also interrupt natural gas service. If the gas goes out in cold weather:

  • Keep your house from cooling down.
  • Close blinds and drapes.
  • Avoid opening doors.
  • Put on layers of clothing and stay warm.

Take care using other heat sources:

  • Indoor electric heaters are safe
  • Avoid wood fireplaces
  • Never use outdoor barbecues, kerosene heaters or camping heaters.

Prepare for an Outage

Keep extra supplies on hand.

  • Prepare yourself for any emergency, not just a natural gas outage, by having extra supplies available.
  • Prepare a home emergency kit containing:
    • Ready-to-eat, high energy foods - enough for three days,
    • Bottled water - at least 12 litres per person,
    • Manual can opener,
    • Flashlights,
    • Battery-operated radio and batteries,
    • Warm clothing and blankets,
    • Medications and critical items,
    • First aid kit,
    • Alternative heating source - must be safe for indoors,
    • Cash and credit cards.

 

Restoring Your Natural Gas Service Once Gas Service is Restored

To restart the flow of natural gas to your home, you may need to reset your regulator and re-light your appliances.

How to Reset a Natural Gas Regulator

What is a regulator?

A regulator is a safety valve that closes when natural gas supply is interrupted. It is always next to the natural gas meter, which can be inside or outside your home. For most people, it is outside.

There are two types of regulators:

  1. Sealed Regulator: This regulator resets automatically when natural gas service is restored. You do not have to do anything to it. Never try to break the seal.
  2. Manual Regulator: You need to manually reset this kind of regulator.

How to reset manual/plunger regulators:

  1. Turn off all your natural gas appliances. Carefully follow the instructions on the plate or sticker of each appliance.
  2. Go to your regulator and unscrew the round cap. You should be able to do so by hand, but sometimes a wrench is needed.
  3. Locate the plunger inside and use your fingers to pull it out. This is how you reset the regulator. Never use tools for this part.
  4. Screw the cap back on.
  5. Check the test dials on the natural gas meter. They are the two dials located just below a set of four dials
  6. If any dials are moving, make sure all your natural gas appliances are shut off
  7. When the dials are not moving, you are ready to re-light your natural gas appliances.

Summary

  • Turn off all natural gas appliances
  • Unscrew the cap if it is a manual regulator
  • With your fingers, pull the plunger
  • Replace the cap
  • Check test dials are not moving
  • Re-light your appliances

Re-Lighting Your Appliances

On each natural gas appliance, you will find an instruction plate or label on how to re-light it. Carefully follow the instructions. Each appliance has a slightly different procedure. Your regulator must be properly reset first.

How to Re-light a Natural Gas Furnace:

Before you try to re-light:

Know what type of natural gas furnace you have. There are two types:

  1. Automatic Ignition Furnace: Typically installed after 1990 - does not need re-lighting
  2. Standing Pilot Furnace: Typically installed before 1990 - does need re-lighting

Unsure what type of furnace you have?

  1. Start by removing the furnace door. Locate the control valve.
  2. If the valve has "On" and "Off" positions only, then you have an automatic ignition furnace.
  3. If the valve has "On", "Off" and "Pilot" positions, you have a standing pilot furnace.

Testing Automatic Ignition Furnaces

If you want to make sure your automatic ignition furnace is working, follow these steps:

  1. Turn the furnace power switch off and on, The switch is usually near the furnace wall or ceiling.
  2. Make sure your thermostat is turned up.
  3. The furnace should re-light in a couple of minutes.
  4. Listen or watch for the furnace to re-light.

Re-lighting a Hot Water Heater:

  1. When re-lighting your hot water heater, take note of where the thermostat was originally set. Turn the thermostat to the lowest setting.
  2. Carefully remove the outer door and slide the inner door. They may be HOT.
  3. Look for a pilot, a small burning flame.
  4. If the pilot flame is on, your residence is still receiving a supply of natural gas.
  5. If there is no pilot flame, follow the instructions on the hot water heater or follow these example instructions of how the majority of hot water heaters are lit.
    • Turn the hot water heater control know to "off"
    • Wait 5 minutes
    • Have a barbecue lighter or match on hand
    • After 5 minutes, turn the control knob to "pilot"
    • Fully depress and hold the pilot button and light the pilot
    • The pilot is located by following the tubing from the control valve
    • Once the pilot is lit, continue to depress the pilot button for approximately one minute
    • Release the pilot button. The pilot flame should stay lit
    • If it does not, start the procedure over
    • At arm's length, turn the control knob from "pilot" to "on"
    • Turn the hot water thermostat back to it's original position
    • Look for the hot water heater burner to light
    • Carefully slide the inner door and replace the outer door

Summary

  • Note the original thermostat setting
  • Turn thermostat to the lowest setting
  • Remove the outer and inner doors
  • Look for a pilot flame
  • Turn the control knob to "off"
  • After 5 min, turn control knob to "pilot"
  • Continue to hold pilot button for one minute
  • Release the pilot button
  • Slowly turn the control knob to "on"
  • Turn thermostat back to its original position
  • Look for the burner to light
  • Slide inner door and replace outer doors