Appliance Safety

Be a smart buyer — and safe owner — of natural gas appliances.

Your natural gas appliances are made with the highest quality and safety standards. They can add warmth, security and comfort to your home or business. To ensure that your natural gas home or business is always a safe one, we urge customers to become educated consumers.

This process begins when you prepare to purchase your new natural gas product and continues when you use energy saving tips.

When purchasing new appliances, you're faced with a number of decisions. Some of these decisions involve which brand is best, how much energy will the appliance use, and will purchasing a higher priced model that provides better efficiency save money in the long run. Once you have made the choice of natural gas appliances, learn how to increase their longevity and performance through appliance safety.

Energy-Saving & Safety Tips

Before you purchase your next natural gas product, read EnergyGuide labels. To ensure the safety and efficiency of your new natural gas appliances, follow some rules of thumb:

Look for gas appliances that are designed to meet safety standards. Check the label for certification; this is your assurance that the equipment is designed to meet national safety standards.
Have qualified professionals install gas appliances to make sure they’re properly connected.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for operation and care of your appliance.
Call a professional if there is any irregularity with your gas appliance, like overheating or the presence of soot around a burner.
Ensure the flame on your gas appliance is bright blue. If it’s consistently yellow, call a professional to check and adjust the burner.
Make sure a qualified plumber or contractor determines that the equipment is properly vented and adjusted, and it has an adequate supply of fresh air for safe, efficient combustion.

Natural gas problems like leaks or a presence of carbon monoxide can be avoided if you make sure your appliances are serviced regularly. Here are a few safety tips to help you use the natural gas appliances in your home safely:

Follow manufacturer directions for care and use of gas appliances and heating systems. Always have a qualified heating contractor, plumber or appliance repair representative inspect and repair your natural gas equipment.
Check furnace filters regularly and clean or replace them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Keep the furnace unit intact. Do not remove panels without replacing them.
Keep combustible materials such as papers, fluids, paints, curtains and dryer sheets away from furnaces, water heaters and gas ranges and dryers.
Keep your gas range clean. Make sure burner bowls are free of used matches, grease, paper, etc.
Have a fire extinguisher near your appliances.
Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and business.
Keep the pilot lights of your gas range lit. If you put them out to save energy, a dangerous gas build-up can occur if someone accidentally turns on the range.
Use equipment for the job it was designed to do.
Do not use your gas range or oven to heat your home or business.
Make sure natural gas appliances have proper ventilation according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Keep chimneys and flues clear. Have your fluepipe and chimney checked to make sure they’re not blocked with debris such as nests, branches or ivy.