Time to check to be safe

ArmyPair2 · Oct 20, 2015

This has nothing to do with tractors but there is some things to remember to keep your family and homes safe from a disaster. Check your dryer and vents for build up of lint and most of us burn wood in a stove or fireplace so clean them up. If you cook with gas take the top of your stove off and remove the grease build up under it. Most of all after when we have daylight savings time replace your batteries in your smoke detectors and I will be happy to see you post again about tractors and I know there I more things to check but these are just some of the steps that we take.

Thomas · Oct 20, 2015

Twice year...clocks adjusted..shop vac shows no mercy for such areas you have mention.

SandburRanch · Oct 20, 2015

If you've had certain roof repair or a re- roof and have a gas water heater or furnace check the flue connection. We're fortunate my daughter and son inlaw are alive. Roof contractors are high speed, in a hurry and don't give a dam if their work caused the exhaust to become disconnected at the appliance.

Garycw · Oct 20, 2015

Good reminders. I admit I'm not the best at keeping fireplace flue clean. I do use the creosote reducing chemicals though. Had a near disaster cpl weeks ago. A hired house cleaner was working while we were gone. When we returned a few days later, we smelled what we thought was a dead mouse narrowed it down to basement , opened Windows , put air freshener out and hoped it would dry up and go away. Closed everything back up, left for 9 days, returned and smell still there. I went back to basement and found house cleaner had bumped knob on gas stove and was hissing. This had leaked two weeks. Surprised we didn't blow up! It really didn't have the normal gas smell, thought sure it was a mouse. So if you have gas, or in this case propane and smell anything, check you connections & appliances.
Recent example:
Corbin home destroyed by gas explosion

SandburRanch · Oct 20, 2015

One feature I like about a gas stove we bought 4 or 5 years ago is both the cook top burners and oven can be locked out with the touch of a button. With front controls that operate with a feather touch and little grand kids around on occasion we really like that feature.

Garycw · Oct 20, 2015

SandburRanch said:
One feature I like about a gas stove we bought 4 or 5 years ago is both the cook top burners and oven can be locked out with the touch of a button. With front controls that operate with a feather touch and little grand kids around on occasion we really like that feature.

That's a good feature. We don't have on ours and even had to look hard to find one that could be lit with a match if power is out.

teg · Oct 20, 2015

We would only smell natural gas after we get back from a weeks vacation, only a minute after opening the front door. Didn't call it in (stupid mistake). Took a two week trip a few years later... when we got home and open the front door, we called the gas company said we smelled gas. Never seen anyone respond THAT quick. Did a pressure test, yup, had a small leak at a union connection.

SandburRanch · Oct 20, 2015

Garycw said:
That's a good feature. We don't have on ours and even had to look hard to find one that could be lit with a match if power is out.

That's one disadvantage of ours. It will not be lit with a match. It requires my Honda 2000i with a clean sine wave or some such thing.

I had a appliance repairman tell me on a forum any gas stove could be lit with a match. My reply was bring your lunch because you'll be here awhile.

kcflhrc · Oct 20, 2015

Interesting this thread got started. I was in the attic about a month ago and found the flue pipe for my furnace was disconnected and venting into the attic. We have lived there 2 years and it has probably always been like that. I found out from the neighbor that our house used to have a flat roof, mansard style. They could never get it to stop leaking so they put a peaked roof over the flat roof. It's obvious the flue pipe extension never lined up properly. My guess is that this has been like this for a very long time.

Garycw · Oct 20, 2015

SandburRanch said:
That's one disadvantage of ours. It will not be lit with a match. It requires my Honda 2000i with a clean sine wave or some such thing. I had a appliance repairman tell me on a forum any gas stove could be lit with a match. My reply was bring your lunch because you'll be here awhile.

Wife has a phobia about no power. This was only model we could find at lowes. It was high price with low features. Everything still works except clock & oven light if power goes out. It's not our main stove that's upstairs.