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| Routinely, and at least annually, call a service technician to examine your gas appliance(s) for any conditions that may render the appliance(s) inefficient or unsafe for use. All appliances should be regularly inspected and maintained to eliminate possible hazards from short circuits and other malfunctions that could create hazards.A routine inspection should consist of (but not be limited to) detecting any unsafe or potentially hazardous situations, such as the following:
- Substandard and/or lack of venting systems on appliances for which they are required.
- Sootiness and/or the accumulation of soot around interior and exterior appliance components such as pilot lights, appliance burners, range tops, and oven components.
- Water leakage or through water heater valves, fittings or jackets. CAUTION: This should alert you to the fact that the water heating device has some internal damage.
- Missing or damaged control components such as dials, knobs, screws, etc.
- Controls that have been tampered with as evidenced by altered design function, missing or substituted components, etc.
- Controls that have been under water or subjected to flooding. Such controls may not function properly and must be replaced.
- Unstable appliance bases and/or platforms. Warped, rotting or substandard bases and/or platforms may collapse creating a potentially hazardous condition.
- Problems in gas line connectors such as kinks, corrosion, deterioration, etc. Any abnormality should be immediately reported to your propane supplier since failure to correct these problems could create a hazardous situation.
- Unsatisfactory operation of gas valves and safety controls. A word about vented appliances: Some appliances are required to have vents in order to exhaust harmful combustion gases outside. Poisonous carbon monoxide can be produced from improperly installed or operating appliances. Frequent headaches and nausea may be indicators that this colorless, odorless gas is causing carbon monoxide poisoning. To minimize the chance of this happening, follow these practices:
- Vented appliances must be installed by a qualified appliance installer.
- Do not operate vented appliances until they have been vented properly.
- After appliance installation and before each heating season, the vents and flues should be checked for blockages and corrosion, either by a qualified installer or a qualified service technician.
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