Before anything else
If you smell gas, leave the house first
Get everyone out and don’t touch a switch. Call your gas utility from outside. After that, call us.
The work
What leaving gas involves
Swapping the heater takes a day. The gas side is a short part of it, with its own checks.
Shut off and cap the branch
We close the gas to the water heater and cap the branch line, so nothing is left open behind the wall or in the garage.
Test the cap
The capped line is pressure tested before we close up, and you see the cap.
Close off the flue
The old flue opening is sealed or removed, so air and water do not find their way in.
Permit and inspection
The permit covers the swap and the cap. The inspector signs off, and we give you the paperwork.
What stays on gas
Taking one appliance off gas does not take the house off gas. If you have a gas stove, dryer or furnace, they stay on the line, and we only touch the branch to the water heater.
Your gas utility, not us, decides what happens to your account and your meter. If the heater is your last gas appliance, call them before we cap the line, and ask what they need from you.
Questions about the gas side
Will my gas bill go away?
Only if the water heater was your last gas appliance. A gas stove, dryer or furnace keeps the meter in use, and your gas utility decides what happens to the account. Call them before you cap anything.
Do you pull permits?
Yes. Replacing a water heater needs a permit in most California cities. We pull it, book the inspection and give you the sign-off with your paperwork.
How long does a swap take?
Most swaps are done in a day. A full panel, a long wire run or a closet that needs ducting can add a second visit, and we say so on the plan.
Plan the gas side with a plumber
The home visit covers the line, the flue and what else it feeds.