Always report an outage!

Call Yellowhead Gas Co-op at 780-723-4214

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 an overpressure protection device 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.

These are the types of regulators:

1. Primary non-shut off – (Yellowhead Gas Co-op’s responsibility) This regulator is placed before the meter (Typically to the left side of the meter) and does not need to be reset. These regulators are adjusted and set by Yellowhead Gas Co-op personnel. Click to See Style 1
2. Manual / Plunger regulator – (Customers responsibility) This regulator is placed after the meter (typically to the right side of the meter) and will need to be manually reset to restore gas flow. (You may have more than one of these regulators).
3. Secondary non-shut off- (Customers responsibility) This regulator is placed after the meter (typically to the right side of the meter) these regulators do not require to be manually reset. Gas flow is restored automatically.
4. Primary non-typical regulator assembly – With this configuration there will be two regulators to the left of the meter. The Primary non-shut off is Yellowhead Gas Co-op’s responsibility and will not have to be reset. The manual/ plunger regulator will need to be manually reset.  Click to See Style 4

How to reset – (Primary/Secondary non-shut off regulator does not apply):

1. Go to your regulator and unscrew the round cap. You should be able to do so by hand, but sometimes a wrench is needed
2. Locate the plunger (stem) inside and use your hand to pull it out. This is how you reset the regulator. If by hand is difficult, you may use pilers to gently pull the stem out (hold for approximately five seconds). The stem should travel approximately an inch and once gas is flowing the stem should stay out. Repeat steps if stem goes back to close position.
3. Screw the cap back on
4. Carefully follow relighting instructions on gas 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.
   1. Turn the hot water heater control knob to “off”
   2. Wait 5 minutes
   3. Have a barbeque lighter or match on hand
   4. Afte 5 minutes, turn the control knob to “pilot”
   5. Fully depress and hold the pilot button and light the pilot
   6. The pilot is located by following the tubing from the control valve
   7. Once the pilot is lit, continue to depress the pilot button for approximately one minute
   8. Release the pilot button. The pilot flame should stay lit
   9. If it does not, start the procedure over
   10. At arm’s length, turn the control knob from “pilot” to “on”
   11. Turn the hot water thermostat back to it’s original postion
   12. Look for the hot water heater burner to light
   13. 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”
• Press and hold pilot button and light pilot
• Continue to hold pilot button for one minute
• Release the pilot button
• Slowly turn control knob to “on”
• Turn thermostat back to its original position
• Look for the burner to light
• Slide inner door and replace outer doors