Low gas pressure?

[John Arnold]

This is my own house, not an inspection...

The other day I couldn't get any of the stove-top burners to light, while the oven was fired up and the boiler was fired up, and maybe the water heater, too. I could hear the ignitor, though.

Seems kind of like a no-brainer - not enough gas to go around - but I've never actually heard of such a problem, except when installing tankless systems that require a larger gas service.

Bad pressure regulator?

Maybe some experimenting is in order.

[Raymond Wand]

Undersized gas line for number of appliances. I know this can happen with propane because I had this problem at the cottage. Six burner propane stove w/oven and griddle, three gas fireplaces, gas boiler, gas dryer, gas generator. If they are all running there is not enough pressure to fire all appliances.

[Scott Patterson]

I would go with a bad pressure regulator at the meter if you are on natural gas. NG is low pressure when compaired to LPG. Call the gas company.....

[Jerry Peck]

I would go with a bad pressure regulator at the meter if you are on natural gas. NG is low pressure when compaired to LPG. Call the gas company.....

Even on LPG.

Regulators can also leak and need repair/replacement (replacement is typically what is done). The diaphragm can fail, tear, develop a hole or puncture, etc. Check outside by the regulator to see if you smell gas - if so that is an indication of a failed diaphragm (among other potential things, but I would go with the diaphragm first - either way, it typically means a new regulator).

[Raymond Wand]

Sizing of lines.

https://www.gpta.net/Classes/Gas%20sizing/Gaspipe%20Sizing.pdf

http://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/pdf/bldg-gaspipe.pdf

[John Arnold]

Thanks all!

The meter and regulator are inside, in the basement. No gas smell down there.

[Scott Patterson]

Thanks all!

The meter and regulator are inside, in the basement. No gas smell down there.

You don't have to have a gas smell for the regulator to be bad.

[Jerry Peck]

You don't have to have a gas smell for the regulator to be bad.

Correct, only if it is leaking would there be a gas smell.

I doubt it is a design issue unless this is a new installed and has never been 'fully' tested before, otherwise the issue would have shown up sooner.

If some of the other appliances were turned off, did it light properly then? That would pretty much confirm there was a pressure problem and likely the regulator - unless your entire neighborhood had a similar problem at the same time, then it could be a system-wide pressure problem.

[John Arnold]

You don't have to have a gas smell for the regulator to be bad.

Right. I was responding to JP's suggestion that I check for gas smell.

[John Kogel]

I think 5 million people turned the heat up all at once. :(

[John Arnold]

Maybe it was a neighborhood thing. I just fired up every gas appliance in the house, and had no trouble with stove top burners.

[Jim Robinson]

Maybe it was a neighborhood thing. I just fired up every gas appliance in the house, and had no trouble with stove top burners.

We had an extremely cold few days a few years ago, and I was having some trouble with the water heater not being warm enough for a bath. I chalked it up to some type of utility problem with gas pressure or volume. Hasn't happened again, fortunately. Funny thing, that was the only time I ever attempted to use our soaking tub, because it was too cold to walk out to the hot tub. Still haven't been in the thing in four years.

[Gunnar Alquist]

John,

I had a gas-fired range once. When I had the "self-clean" function on, the heat coming out of the oven would prevent the cooktop burners from igniting automatically. I could light them manually, but the heat/airflow made the flames dance like mad. The oven vented into the space under the cooktop where the burners were and the airflow was so intense that the cooktop burners would not ignite. Once the self-clean was done, everything returned to normal.

Maybe?

[John Arnold]

John,

I had a gas-fired range once. When I had the "self-clean" function on, the heat coming out of the oven would prevent the cooktop burners from igniting automatically. I could light them manually, but the heat/airflow made the flames dance like mad. The oven vented into the space under the cooktop where the burners were and the airflow was so intense that the cooktop burners would not ignite. Once the self-clean was done, everything returned to normal.

Maybe?

Thanks. I'll have to test that theory.