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An Ounce of Prevention Fire Protection Equipment – Don’t Let it Alarm You At long last the fall season has arrived. Nights are cooler, days are shorter and there is temporary relief from utility bills beginning with numbers “3” and larger. Hard to believe we will soon be turning on the heating systems to take the chill out of the house. Don’t you love the smell the first time you turn it on the furnace for the season? Nothing quite like it. That thought led to this week’s topic. I interviewed Jeff Jones, the Colleyville Fire Marshall. I presented Jones with the following question, “As home owners, we will soon be starting up the heating systems in our homes after they have been idle for the last six to nine months. What kinds of things set off the bells and whistles at the fire station?” Without a word he left the interview. I could hear him rummage around in his office a bit and he returned with a flexible copper pipe about two feet in length. It had been part of a gas line on the furnace of a very prestigious home. He showed me a slit about a quarter of an inch that had worn its way through the pipe. He went on to tell the story about the furnace it came from. When the furnace was recently fired up, so was the leak in the gas line, nearly starting the attic on fire. The homeowner was shocked when he discovered a two foot blue flame shooting out from the slit in the gas line. Fortunately nothing was set on fire. Jones
indicated that breaks in the flex line just described have been the
number one cause of the highest dollar damage in Colleyville the last
two years. Flexible gas
line connections are typical on gas-supplied appliances. The biggest
concern is the connection on a furnace. Flex lines resemble an accordion
in appearance with its’ rippled effect. The ripples enable the flex
line to be contoured to effectively make connections.
When the furnace is running, whether it is summer or winter, the
gas line connection running into the furnace will encounter some
vibration against the furnace walls. If it is a flex line connection,
the vibration will wear a hole causing a leak. By way of prevention, a homeowner can do the following: - Check the gas line running into the furnace. A solid lead pipe should extend from inside the furnace to outside the furnace for the connections. - If a flex line is running into the furnace, for safety purposes it should be changed out. The preferred option is to have it replaced by a licensed HVAC representative. While they are on site, they can examine other connections and gas supplied appliances. Jones went on to indicate that the biggest cause of the number of fires this time of year is candles left unattended. Scented candles get lit, and we forget or leave the room. The candle continues to burn down, sometimes connecting with combustible material. By way of prevention, candleholders should be two times the size of the candle diameter. For example, a three-inch diameter candle should be placed on a six-inch diameter dish. Jones also recommends the following preventative considerations: - Have gas-supplied appliances serviced annually by a licensed HVAC representative. - Personally check the connections on gas lines and flues two to three times a year, especially flues on water heaters. Frequently items get stored around water heaters and the flues accidentally get bumped allowing carbon monoxide gas to enter the breathable air space. - Be certain fire detection equipment is operating properly. Batteries should be replaced twice a year. At a minimum smoke detectors should be installed in passage ways leading to sleeping areas, such as hallways and stairways. By following these simple guidelines, you increase the probability that your fire protection equipment will be operational and not needlessly alarming! “An Ounce of Prevention” features timely tips and insights for preventative maintenance around the home. Please forward any questions or comments to jwampler@calidad-tx.com or visit the web site at www.calidad-tx.com.
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