York County Natural Gas (my only option?)(AVOID if you can) (Rock Hill: rental, house)

[howard555]

I moved in July 2010. YCNG came out and turned the gas on, and lit the pilot light on my water heater.

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Today I have no hot water.

They want $75.00 to come out and light my pilot light.
The guy admitted my suspicion, that they came out last July to light the pilot light to get my business.

I can not believe they won't provide this service.
I'm not needing service, or a part.
He basically told me to stop using their gas, or report them to the BBB, he did not care.

What a joke of a company.

I could be killed trying to light the pilot light. $75 sure tries to take advantage of people.
He also admitted that the water heater I have, was purchased from them in 1998.

Anyone else experienced this with York County Natural Gas?

[rdub1968]

Originally Posted by howard555

They want $75.00 to come out and light my pilot light.
The guy admitted my suspicion, that they came out last July to light the pilot light to get my business.

I use them, but never needed a service from them. I don't expect anything to be free any more these days. Don't you have a neighbor that could help you?

[howard555]

Originally Posted by rdub1968

I use them, but never needed a service from them. I don't expect anything to be free any more these days. Don't you have a neighbor that could help you?

Maybe pilot lights going out, is a common occurance.

I'd think, as a matter of appreciating our business, they could light a pilot light once a year.

If I had to wait another week, for one of their trucks to be headed near my house, which is 1.9 miles from Main St., that would be fine.

I'm asking around on a handyman forum to see if the gas water heater cut itself off, when the pilot light went out.

[rdub1968]

Originally Posted by howard555

Maybe pilot lights going out, is a common occurance.

I don't think so, I have lit maybe 2 pilot lights my entire life. As long as there aren't high winds nearby it should rarely, if ever, go out.

Again, I would ask a neighbor instead of hire a handyman. I wouldn't waste my time on a 5 minute call if I was one. Now would be a good time to meet the neighbors if you haven't already.

[dpanyion]

If the furnace is a recent model - i.e. made w/in the last 10 years - it has an electronic sparker for the pilot light just like your gas grill does. Either way, lighting the pilot light on a water heater, is no more dangerous than lighting a gas grill. Your water heater should have instructions on the front of it for how to do it.

YCNGA *should* charge to come out to your house to light the pilot. You wouldn't call an electrician out to check an outlet that doesn't work w/o charging you a trip charge. Now, I agree that $75 might be excessive. $30-40 would probably be more realistic. Any other professional would charge you a trip charge or diagnostic charge to come out to your house and fix something.

[zetaetadg]

I have had nothing but positive experiences with YCNGA. I love them! I called them as a last resort to run a new gas line and install my new gas range. I didn't call them first because I figured they would be out of this world expensive. Not only were they my least expensive option but everyone I dealt with from the lady in the office to the men who install the line and range were friendly and professional.

I too feel they should charge you. It is a service call after all. My furnace in Atlanta was old and I had to call the gas company twice to come and light the pilot light because it wouldn't light for me. They charged me $75 both times.

[Jake Ryan]

I agree that they should charge something for the service. If they didn't, they would probably have to hire additional staff to cover all the calls and service requests. I do think $75.00 is excessive.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by Jake Ryan

I agree that they should charge something for the service. If they didn't, they would probably have to hire additional staff to cover all the calls and service requests. I do think $75.00 is excessive.

I got it lit myself, with some unknowns, since the instructions on the side and the mechanism I had, did not match.

If pilot lights going out are very, very, common, then they can charge what they want.
If pilots were not common at all, it would be nice if they gave each account holder, one pilot light lighting per 1-2 years. My heater was even bought at YCNG.
It's a 3-4 minute job and I would have been willing to wait 1-2 weeks for one of their workers to be headed back to their building and passing near my house. I'm 1.5 miles from Main St., as they are.

Since the last plumber who came to check the heater out in 2010, lied and told me I needed a new mechanism, and wanted $125, I did not call a plumber. I did not need the part the plumber told me.

I watched a video of lighting a pilot, read the instructions on mine, though my mechanism was not the same, and got it lit, but I think there was more gas in the area of the burners than there was supposed to be.

[nc2sc778]

I am glad you got your situation resolved safely Howard. Unfortunately there are few things in the world still done as a courtesy.

I know one thing- if you are willing to wait 1-2 weeks to get it lit, you are tougher than me. Cold showers and I do not agree!!

Anyway, at some point you may want to consider one of those tankless gas water heaters. I am pretty sure they self ignite as needed so no pilot to worry about lighting or wasting gas burning when not needed. I am not in York county but I have seen commercials where YCNGA is offering them with interest free financing. If I was in York, that is what I would go with, especially with that offer.

[CarolinaWoman]

We live in the country and when they ran the natural gas lines in our area we signed on. We bought a gas pack, water heater and gas logs. We were formerly all electric Duke Power ... when the gas pack rolls over and dies we will go back to Duke and electricity. We have already replaced the water heater with an electric.

We will keep the gas logs in our fireplace as we only use them when we have a power outage. When we had the Great Ice Storm of 2002 boy oh boy did I love the gas logs! Hubby lights the pilot light and turns the logs on.

But for whatever reason YC Natural Gas is more expensive than electricity from Duke Power for us. All summer long the gas pack provides air conditioning using electricity and we keep our house cold 68 degrees. Max bill ever from Duke including electric washer & dryer, water heater and air conditioning was $238.00. When we have to turn on our heat in the winter with only the gas pack our heating bill has hit max $400.00 ... and we keep the thermostat on 68.

The last rental house we had in the city limits YC Natural Gas was cheaper than the Rock Hill utilities. I just want to get back to Duke Power all electric with the exception of the gas logs.