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Most
of us take our household appliances for granted until they break.
But there is one safety feature we all must be aware of and check
on periodically.
Household appliances that burn
fuel, such as water heaters, furnaces and sometimes clothes dryers
must be vented to the outside. You can and should check the draft
of these appliances. This is an important maintenance item and is
absolutely critical to the well being of the home's occupants.
Byproducts of combustion can be hazardous.
You can find out if your water
heater is venting properly by locating the draft diverter or hood.
It is a funnel shape piece of flue pipe that connects to and
usually sits on the top of the water heater. When you hear the
burner come on, hold a piece of tissue paper close to the opening
of the draft hood, near the bottom. The paper should pull in. If
it doesn't, the water heater is back drafting.
Be sure that your water heater
only has a single draft hood in place. Oftentimes, the old draft
diverter isn't removed when a new water heater with its own draft
hood is installed, creating a common double draft hood
configuration which can easily lead to the spillage of flue gases
into the living area.
Check for corroded pipes that
can allow flue gases such as carbon monoxide into your home.
Do not repair with aluminum foil or makeshift measures. Call in
the experts. You can also test for flue spillage from the base of
the water heater by holding a mirror near the suspected leak area.
If the mirror becomes foggy, this indicates the spillage of
flue gases which also can contain carbon monoxide. This
condition indicates defective venting and needs to be corrected.
Its important to avoid storing
combustible materials near your water heater. Do not place
any items on top of the water heater. Keep the
area surrounding the appliance free of clutter to
avoid fire.
Poor ventilation, corroded
pipes and surrounding clutter are cause for a potentially
lethal situation. If you're not sure about the potential problems,
have your water heater checked regularly and save yourself the
worry of wondering whether or not you and your family are safe.
Copyright 2002
PropertySource Network |
