While winter’s deep freeze might be coming to an end, thanks to El Niño, heating season is not quite over yet. Old Man Winter is still with us, so it’s important to still keep gas heating safety in mind.
To that end, the home heating experts at Tragar Energy Services have put together some handy natural gas heating safety tips that will help Long Island homeowners keep themselves and their families safe now and throughout the year.

Natural Gas Heating Tips to Keep Your Family Safe

Natural gas is a very safe and cost-effective way to heat your home. In fact, “nationwide, natural gas is delivered to about 175 million American consumers through a 1.3-million-mile network of underground pipe. Natural gas is clean-burning and safe because of its narrow combustion range,” according to PSEG.
This, combined with its non-toxic nature, “allows it to be used safely in various applications, and makes it environmentally superior to other fossil fuels,” says PSEG.
However, just as with oil heat, gas heat customers should keep the following safety tips in mind:

• Make sure the area around the furnace is always kept clean to ensure proper air flow.
• Keep the interior and exterior air vents clean and debris-free.
• Never store anything combustible or flammable near your gas furnace.
• Regularly inspect and change the filters.
• Install at least one carbon monoxide detector in addition to at least one smoke detector on each level of your home. Some units combine these two functions. Each year check and change the batteries on carbon monoxide and smoke detectors when you spring ahead or fall back an hour.
• Each year have your gas heating system and everything powered by it – including all appliances, vents, flues, fireplaces, chimneys and gas lines – inspected by qualified home heating professionals from a company specializing in gas heat service, such as Tragar Energy Services.
• Be aware of where your gas lines are buried on and around your property, especially when working in your yard.
• Make sure you and your family can identify the smell of natural gas. While natural gas is colorless and odorless on its own, a chemical odorant that’s similar to rotten eggs is typically added to make the presence of gas detectible in the event of a leak.
• The flame inside your furnace should always burn a bright, steady blue color and never come out of the furnace.
• If you see, smell or hear gas in your home, open a window and evacuate your home immediately. Use a phone outside your home to call 911 and call 1-800-880-7734 (PSEG) to report the problem right away.

For more heating safety tips, tricks for troubleshooting your natural gas heating system and to learn how to make the switch from oil to natural gas, please contact Tragar Energy Services, your Long Island green energy company. Now celebrating 60 years in business, Tragar can help you with all of your gas heating, oil heating, and ductless air conditioning needs. Don’t forget to ask about our free estimate!
 
Sources: PSE&G and PSE&G Long Island