Need help disconnecting natural gas heater

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Guy, I don't think it is a flame roll out switch. The second picture I posted is just the supply pipe from the first picture coming into and connecting to the unit. In other words, as you are looking at the first picture I posted, if you were to step around to the right (where you would be facing the "photographer") that is the front of the unit. I removed that panel and now you are seeing that same supply pipe from pic 1, coming in from the left side and into the unit.

Thanks Jason, yeah, went out and took another look and it does indeed appear to be a pipe size adapter. That old sticker on the pipe that you can see actually says 1/2" by 6" nipple. Is there really no way to remove this without cutting?
 
LOL Jason, I feel like that might be easiest at this point.

Cutting the horizontal, unscrewing the 90 and capping definitely seems the way to go, after I triple check that the gas is off of course!

Think a sawzall with the proper metal cutting blade is too rough for this?
 
Might want to dig down around that pipe and see if there is a burried union. Somehow, there has to be one somewhere in that line for it to have been connected properly to the gas supply. They most likely plumbed it backward and the union is near the main supply pipe.
 
danpik said:
Might want to dig down around that pipe and see if there is a burried union. Somehow, there has to be one somewhere in that line for it to have been connected properly to the gas supply. They most likely plumbed it backward and the union is near the main supply pipe.
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Or they used a left/right nipple. Which is why I suggested it earlier...
 

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Just to close this off....
I went backwards and found where the line came out of the house, into a 90 and then underground. Well, sort of underground, it went into a flex pipe that was anywhere from 1-2 inches deep only. After double and triple checking that the gas was off (it was, and has been for years) I just cut it right below the 90 coming out of the house, removed that 90 and then capped it there. I then cut the other end (on the heater side) just below that 90 and was able to unscrew it from the heater using perhaps as much force as it would take to lift a small feather. Yeah, pretty scary...

Thanks much for all of the advice and insight. All in all, I feel pretty sure that my neghborhood is now, if anything, safer given the conditions I describe above, and it took maybe 8 minutes.

I'm hiring someone to plumb the gas line for me next season, in the meantime, I need to give this heater a serious cleaning.... but I'll wait for nasty winter weather to sit inside and do that.
 
You should be good to go then...NOW, when you hook it up at your pool, hook it up correctly. Put a BRASS shutoff valve somewhere near the pool heater, and when running the pipe into the side of the heater, use a small piece of pipe (about inches) out of the gas valve, and then a Brass coupling union to connect to the gas run. It'll save you many headaches.

Then once you have it all plumbed (both gas and water) you'll need to get your pump turned on and check for drips or leaks from the heat exchanger. If there are any..your unit is shot, unless you want to buy a $600 heat exchanger, and replace it. But for that amount, you can find many good, used units on Craigslist in good running condition.

Good luck
 
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