All natural gas appliances should be installed, maintained and vented by a licensed or qualified professional installer or service technician. Have your gas water heater, furnace and flue inspected periodically. Keep the area around your furnace and water heater clean. Never store or use flammables near gas appliances. Drain a pail full of water from your water heater at least twice a year to remove sediment that may accumulate in the bottom of the tank. Check the flame on your gas range. It should be blue. Keep the range and burners clean. Never let flames “lick” over the sides of cooking pot. Keep a dry chemical fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Never use the kitchen range as a space heater. This can produce deadly carbon monoxide gas. Read and follow manufacturers’ instructions on your gas appliances. Know how to shut them off in an emergency.

If you use a gas space heater anywhere in your home, vent it to the outside. Never sleep in a room with an un-vented gas or kerosene heater. Natural gas is colorless and odorless. A “rotten eggs” smell is added to the gas, so you can smell a leak. If you detect a strong odor, touch nothing – no electrical switches, no phones or flashlights – leave the building immediately and call for help 731-642-5635 from a neighbor’s home or nearby business.

Gas safety is a family affair – teach your family how to recognize the smell of gas and what to do when they smell it and you are not home. Teach small children to stay away from gasburning appliances and to never play on or with pipes leading to appliances or into your home from meters.

Be prepared and practice. Safety drills help everyone understand their role in an emergency. Natural gas is America’s clean-burning, reliable, and efficient fuel. Keeping these simple tips in mind can help you and your family enjoy the comfort and safety of
natural gas too!