Gas Safety Tips

Learn a few gas safety tips for using and maintaining your home appliances.

We all rely on our gas appliances to perform everyday chores – cook, do the dishes, do the laundry, etc – and to keep us warm. While gas appliances are very useful, improper installation, maintenance and use can cause serious safety and health threats to you and your  family.

Gas Safety Tips

Here are some gas safety tips for your home:

General Safety Tips:

• Natural gas leak smells like rotten eggs. If you suddenly smell gas, exit your home immediately and call your local fire department from a neighbor’s home or your mobile.
• Fuel- burning appliances and equipment require adequate ventilation and must be vented outdoors. Make sure not to block the appliances with piles of boxes, other furniture, walls, curtains, etc that can interfere with proper airflow from the appliance.
• Keep kids away from gas appliances.
• Never use gas appliances (such as your gas dryer or power washer) to heat the home. Use your home appliances only for their intended functions.
• Use a qualified contractor and a gas safe registered engineer to do any work on your gas appliances.
• Schedule your boiler service and maintenance check on your other gas appliances annually.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector. Make sure the device is installed correctly, tested regularly and maintained properly.
• Do not store combustibles such as mops or paper near your gas appliances.
• Do not use and store flammable products near your gas appliances.
• Educate your family, or anyone living in your home, about emergency procedures. Ensure that everyone knows what emergency number(s) to call.

More Gas Safety Tips: Stoves and Ovens:

• Keep the burners clean, and avoid build up of crumbs or food particles.
• One sign of carbon monoxide build up is yellow flames instead of blue. If this happens, stop using your stove immediately and call your heating contractor.
• Do not leave food cooking on the stove or oven unattended.
• Do not leave flammable products near your stove.
• Do not use your oven to heat your home.
• Use cookie sheets to catch spills in your oven instead of foil.

More Gas Safety Tips: Dryers

• Natural gas clothes dryer must have outdoor ventilation.
• Use a vent that is approved for use with natural gas dryers.
• The vent must be 3 feet from the side or 15 feet above the dryer.
• Clean the outside of the dryer’s exhaust vent twice a year.

If you are familiar with these gas safety tips and need help with ensuring your appliances are properly installed and maintained, call RJ Gas and we’d be happy to help.