What is this on the gas line going to furnace?

[klott]

Originally Posted by Kevin Luce

With the suggestions, I'll have to go with preventing the tenants from turning off the shut off valves. I would think there was a better system then just 4 screws.

What would happen in an emergency? I don't believe that's the purpose, but now you have to find out for us Kevin.

[rwand1]

Kenneth thats why the cover slides?

[klott]

Good point.

[Kevin Luce]

No, the covers did not slide over the gas shut off valve. They all just rested on them.

I never thought of the gas shut off valve to a furnace or any other appliances (such as to a water heater, stove or a gas dryer) as an emergency valve. I always thought of them like a switch to the furnace. You turn it off so a tech can properly work on unit safely.

The maintenance person that let me into each unit just started no long after the furnaces were installed.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by Kevin Luce

With the suggestions, I'll have to go with preventing the tenants from turning off the shut off valves. I would think there was a better system then just 4 screws.

Kevin the ones that I am use to do not have screws but do have a hole in the side to place a pad lock. My thinking was if tenants were involved might be a way to secure the gas to the furnace in the off position if someone was not paying their bills. I have never seen one either with just screws does not make sense to me. Some say there is a wire in your pic I could not see it; if there is a wire it would change the thought pattern. Darn it go find out we all need to know.

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by cbottger

Kevin the ones that I am use to do not have screws but do have a hole in the side to place a pad lock. My thinking was if tenants were involved might be a way to secure the gas to the furnace in the off position if someone was not paying their bills. I have never seen one either with just screws does not make sense to me. Some say there is a wire in your pic I could not see it; if there is a wire it would change the thought pattern. Darn it go find out we all need to know.

There appears to be a pinkish-colored pair of twisted wires on at the top left of the unit in the first picture. The wires seem to disappear in the other two.

[Keith R. Braun]

Wireless t-stat receivers ???

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by jwilliams4

There appears to be a pinkish-colored pair of twisted wires on at the top left of the unit in the first picture. The wires seem to disappear in the other two.

Yeah I see them now thought I was going blind. Definately not a lock out then. I think someone else mentioned a sensor for flow rate/usage that is a possibility. Darn it someone go take that thing apart and lets have a look see.

[Kevin Luce]

Originally Posted by Kevin Luce

Picture is not the greatest. It's black plastic with nothing going to it. You can slide it up and down the gas pipe and the two sides are held on by screws. It does have some weight to it.

The realization of never knowing will linger in my mind.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by Kevin Luce

[/COLOR]

The realization of never knowing will linger in my mind.

Kevin,

This is going to drive some of us nuts!
Can you read what it says on the side in your original photos?

[Patrick Young]

Hi Kevin

The only time I have ever seen something like this it was for putting around automobile gas lines. It had heavy strong magnets inside.
The claim by the manufacturer was that it caused a cleaner fuel burn and was supposed to be better for the environment.
Their brochures never mentioned using the units on anything other than autos.
Not sure if that is what you have here, but the weight you mentioned made me think of the heaviness of the products (due to the magnets) that I saw.

[Bob Elliott]

Here is the closest I could find.
http://waycoolfinds.com/fluidtreatment.html

[Kevin Luce]

Originally Posted by relliott

Here is the closest I could find.
http://waycoolfinds.com/fluidtreatment.html

pyoung

The only time I have ever seen something like this it was for putting around automobile gas lines. It had heavy strong magnets inside.

If that is what it is for, it didn't notice any Magnet when I lifted it up on the gas pipe.

I'm going to find out what heating company installed those things and pay them to put one on my furnace.

[Ron E. Perkerewicz]

don't laugh but they sell a similar thing for cars to put on your gas line to the carburator, it has a magent that is to collect any micro metal particles and is supposed to do some strange molecule rearanging for better mileage. Maybe that is what this is ?

[Michael Larson]

Snake oil salesmen have been selling magnetic devices for over a century. They don't do a darn thing.
Not for gasoline, natural gas, water, or your lumbago.

Sorry folks but there is a sucker born every minute.

My brother even spent hundreds for one that was supposed to make his water soft.
Guess what it did work.