Natural Gas Safety Spring Cleaning
While you’re working on your spring cleaning projects and preparing your house for summer, don’t forget to make sure your home is safe. Spring is the perfect time to conduct a quick check-up on your home or business for natural gas safety.
There are things you can do to make sure you’re protecting your home or business by staying clear of problems that can cause natural gas leaks, carbon monoxide (CO) and other hazards.
Here’s a checklist you can use to conduct a quick safety check:
- Install CO detectors or check existing detectors to ensure they are working properly
- Ensure the areas around your heating equipment are clean and unblocked to allow proper airflow
- Check to make sure furnace compartment doors are closed and secured
Natural Gas Appliance Safety Check
- Clean burners and surrounding surfaces
- Inspect the flues of automatically controlled appliances to ensure they are corrosion-free, securely attached, and correctly vented
- Keep the area around furnace room air vents clear
- Remove any combustible materials located near natural gas appliance flames
- Change your furnace filter
- Remove branches or leaves that may have fallen on your meter due to spring ice storms or high winds and inspect the unit for damage
- Trim tall grass, weeds and greenery around your meter as well as natural gas exhaust and air intakes
- Clear your natural gas appliance vents and air intakes of potential obstructions
NOTE: Other than keeping it clear of obstructions, you should not touch or handle your natural gas meter. Never tie or wrap anything around the unit. Don’t let children play on the meter and do not enclose it in any type of structure.
Emergency Awareness
- Ensure everyone at your home or business knows the signs of a CO problem or gas leak, and what to do in the event of a natural gas emergency
- Make sure you know your natural gas provider’s phone number, should an emergency arise. Most providers have a hotline number. When in doubt, call 911.
Midland Resource Recovery ensures natural gas safety through the process of odorization.
Article resource: DTE – Empowering Michigan
