Natural gas is common in Philadelphia homes. PGW supplies gas across the city, and many rowhouses have a gas range in the kitchen, a gas dryer in the basement, and a gas furnace and water heater nearby. These appliances are safe when they're in good shape and vented properly. When they aren't, they can produce carbon monoxide, a gas you can't see or smell.
Older homes add a few risks: appliances that have been in place for decades, connectors that were never updated, and basement dryer vents that are easy to block. This checklist covers the two gas appliances in our world, the range and the dryer, plus the alarms that protect everyone in the house.
Two emergencies, two different responses
If you smell gas
Leave the house right away and take everyone with you. Don't turn lights or appliances on or off, don't use your phone inside, and don't try to find the leak. Once you're outside and away from the house, call PGW or 911.
If a CO alarm goes off
Get everyone outside into fresh air, then call 911. Don't go back in until emergency responders say it's safe. Symptoms of CO exposure include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion, and they can feel a lot like the flu. If anyone has symptoms, tell the 911 dispatcher.
Carbon monoxide alarm checklist
- Have CO alarms on every level of the home, including the basement where the dryer and furnace are, and outside sleeping areas.
- Test monthly with the test button.
- Replace batteries as the manufacturer recommends, and replace the alarm itself before the end of its rated life, which is printed on the unit.
- Don't confuse smoke and CO alarms. Some units do both; many smoke alarms don't detect CO at all. Check the label.
Gas appliance checklist
| Appliance | Check | Healthy | Problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range burners | Light each burner on high | Crisp blue flame with a small inner cone | Mostly yellow or orange flame, soot on pans, flames lifting off the burner |
| Oven burner | Look through the bottom panel or broiler while it's heating | Steady flame along the burner | Lazy yellow flame, soot inside the oven, delayed ignition with a loud pop |
| Range connector | Pull the range out carefully or look from the side | Coated flexible connector in good condition | Old uncoated brass connector, kinks, corrosion |
| Kitchen ventilation | Run the hood fan while cooking | Hood works and the filter is clean | Hood doesn't run, or recirculates without a working filter |
| Gas dryer vent | Run the dryer and check outside | Strong airflow at the hood; flap opens | Weak or no airflow, crushed duct, vent blocked by snow or leaves |
| Gas dryer area | Look around the dryer in the basement | Clear space; no storage against the dryer | Laundry piles, boxes, paint or solvents nearby |
| Gas dryer connector | Look behind the dryer | Flexible connector in good shape, shutoff valve accessible | Old or damaged connector, valve buried behind clutter |
Never use a gas range for heat
When a basement or kitchen is cold in January, it can be tempting to turn on the oven and leave the door open. Don't. Ranges are designed for cooking, not space heating, and running them for hours can raise CO levels in the home. If your heat isn't working, contact your heating contractor.
Older rowhouse specifics
- Yellow flames on an old range are often caused by dirty burner ports or a misadjusted air shutter. Cleaning the burner heads may help; adjusting the air mix or orifices is a job for a professional.
- Basement window dryer vents can be blocked by snow drifts, leaves or a light-well cover. Check after storms.
- Range replacements should always come with a new gas connector installed and leak-tested by a qualified pro. The used range checklist covers what to look for.
- Furnaces, boilers and water heaters are also CO sources. Their venting and burners should be checked by an HVAC contractor or plumber, not an appliance technician.
Gas dryers and lint
A gas dryer that can't exhaust properly doesn't just take longer. Combustion gases can back up into the basement. Clean the lint screen every load and keep the duct clean, following the dryer vent safety checklist.
Sources
When to call: if burner flames stay yellow after cleaning, the oven ignites late with a bang, or a gas dryer runs hot with poor airflow even after the vent is cleared, have it checked. Our range repair and dryer repair technicians diagnose first and provide a written estimate before any work. Anything that smells like gas is a call to PGW first, from outside the house.