Shutting Off The Fuel Supply and Thermostats

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Shutting Off The Fuel Supply

Any fuel is a potential danger in a fire or a natural disaster such as a tornado or flood. Make sure that every adult knows how to turn off your home’s fuel supply in an emergency. Natural gas centers enters your home through a meter. To shut it off use a wrench to turn the valve on the meter intake pipe to a horizontal position so that the bar on the valve is at a right angle to the pipe. Always keep a wrench near the shutoff valve. For bottled gas, the control valve is on top of the tank. Turn the knob or lever clockwise to stop the flow. Fuel oil is stored in an outdoor or basement tank. Look for the shutoff valve near the tank bottom where the fuel line exits or ask your supplier.

Thermostats

A thermostat automatically turns the furnace or air conditioning on or off at the temperature that you set. It also has switches for choosing between heating, cooling, fan only and off settings. A programmable model has a built-in clock and timer that lets you set the time when you want the heat to come on and go off, both for convenience and economy. Most thermostats stem from improper location or use. Don’t place a lamp, television or other heat source under a thermostat. A draft can cause a thermostat to register a temperature that is lower than the average temperature in the house and send the wrong message to the furnace. An electric thermostat with a digital readout and keypad rarely causes trouble. Just be sure to replace the backup batteries with new alkaline ones when the low-battery light goes on. If an older mechanical thermostat with levers for setting temperature and switching functions behaves erratically, it may need to be cleaned. Gently pull off the cover and clear away the dust inside with a soft brush. Then clean the contacts on the levers: Slip a piece of coarse paper such as bond typing paper under each contact, then slide the paper around and move the lever back and forth. Never use sandpaper for this, it’s too abrasive.

If your furnace cycles on and off too often or too seldom and you have a mechanical thermostat, try adjusting the anticipator, a device that prompts the thermostat to cut the furnace off a bit early to allow for residual heat already in the system. The anticipator is usually a flat metal pointer on a scale. If the furnace cycles on and off too often, move the pointer a bit toward a longer setting (there’s an indicator on the scale). If the furnace cycles too seldom, move it the opposite way.

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