Natural Gas Appliance Maintenance

Natural gas appliance maintenance is the customer's responsibility, so proper care and maintenance help keep your appliances operating smoothly and efficiently. The following are some helpful tips to keep your appliances operating safely and properly:

• Have your natural gas appliances regularly inspected by a professional at least once a year. This can prevent dangerous exposures to carbon monoxide. See our Carbon Monoxide page for more details.
• Never store rags, paper, or combustibles near any gas appliance.
• Keep the area around the appliances clean. Any possible buildup may result in a fire.
• Follow your local building codes and elevate gas appliances accordingly.
• Replace your furnace filter multiple times each winter or as often as the manufacturer recommends.
• Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior to colder months to avoid any potential issues and ensure your home is properly heated.
• Secure your storage water heater for earthquakes. Kits are available at your local hardware store and we recommend having a qualified professional install it.
• Lower your water heater temperature setting to prevent scalding accidents and lower your energy costs. Refer to your water heater's manufacturing manual for safe temperature settings.
• When using a fireplace, keep the damper open.
• Store gasoline, pant thinner, and aerosol cans safely away from all natural gas appliances.
• If the burners on top of your range have the blue flame, they are working correctly. If the flame looks is yellow, lazy, or leaves soot at the bottom of your pots, a qualified technician must service your range.

Appliances Gas Shutoff Valve

In the event of a natural gas leak, most natural gas appliances have gas shutoff valves and are meant to shut off the gas to that appliance only. In some cases, turning off the gas supply to individual appliances is helpful if the leak is directly coming from a product in your home, or it is being replaced or serviced. A gas shutoff valve should be installed for each appliance. To cut off the appliance's gas supply, turn the valve a quarter turn.

Appliance Safety Recalls

Information about product recalls that may affect your appliances is available from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) website or by phone at 1.800.638.2772.

For Your Home

Keeping your home safe and energy efficient is the best way to lower your energy costs and usage!