Will a gas heater work without electricity?

One of the questions we get from our customers is if their gas hot water system or gas heater will work without electricity. It is natural to assume that a gas heater would just require gas to function, but it is not entirely true, if your heater doesn’t have power supply or there’s a power outage, it won’t work.

Gas Hot Water Systems

Whether your gas hot water unit will work without power depends if your water heater is pilot light controlled or electronic ignition controlled.

Continuous Gas Pilot Light

If you a water heater that has a continous gas pilot light, it will run normally work even during a power outage.

Electric Gas Pilot Light

As these system rely on electricity to ignite the gas burner, they won’t heat the water in the tank in the case of a power outage. However, the water in the tank may stay warm for quite a while, the unit just won't heat any water coming into the tank or reheat the water in the tank once it cools.

Instantaneous Gas Hot Water Systems

Although they use gas to heat the water, electricity is used to run the internal components. They don’t have a tank to store the hot water so unfortunately you will be stuck with cold water until the power supply is back.

What about other types of hot water systems?

Electric Hot Water systems - These systems rely on electricity and will not work if there’s a power outage. However, the water stored in the tank remains hot for a couple of hours and even days. In case you have an instantaneous electric water heater, it won’t work without a power supply. If you have a solar hot water heater and it is boosted with electricity, you may get a limited supply of hot water.

Will Gas Heater or Gas Furnace work without electricity?

If you use a gas heater or gas furnace heat your home, it won’t work without electricity. Although they use gas as a primary source of fuel, the internal components require electricity to function.

Pilot light controlled gas heaters will continue to operate without electricity (those with a continuously lit pilot light), electronic ignition controlled heaters will not.

What to do during a blackout?

During a power outage, turn off the power supply to your gas heater. When the power supply comes back, your appliances can get damaged due to voltage fluctuations. Once electricity supply is restored, you can turn on your gas heater and other appliances.

Gas heaters working on gas pilot light will continue to work independently without a power supply. A conventional electric heater will keep the water warm for a couple of hours and days depending on the size, location and its insulation. You can consider installing a generator to power your home if your area experiences long periods of power outages. For more information on how to manage your gas appliances, get in contact with our licenced gas fitters at 02 9191 7374 or complete our online Gas Fitter Enquiry form.