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Safety tips for around the home.
Protect your meter during harsh winter weather
Your outdoor natural gas meter and equipment are designed to withstand winter weather conditions, but heavy or hard-packed snow and ice, icicles falling from your eaves, or water dripping from your roof and freezing on your meter can present a safety hazard. To avoid problems customers are urged to follow some basic tips:
1. Keep
your meter clear of snow and ice.
- Make sure your meter is visible at all times and accessible for maintenance and emergency responders (i.e. Columbia Gas service personnel, meter readers and firefighters).
- Never let snow completely cover your meter.
- Do not shovel snow up against your meter.
- Take care in using a snow blower or plow near your meter.
- NEVER kick or hit the gas meter or its piping to break away built-up snow or ice. If you feel there is a potential problem, call Columbia Gas.
2. Keep
your eaves troughs clear.
- Icicles hanging from your eaves trough, water dripping from your roof, or freezing rain can create an icy build-up on your gas meter and connections.
- Remove icicles from overhangs.
- Protect your meter from dripping water which would freeze on meter piping.
3. Keep air supply ducts and vents clear.
- Keep vents unobstructed and free of debris - some direct vent and high efficiency appliances have side wall vents and air intakes that could become obstructed during heavy snow fall.
- Gas equipment requires air for safe combustion and venting of appliances.
- Know where your air supply ducts are and keep them free of snow and ice.
- Check that your chimney or roof vent is clear.
Why is it so important to keep your meter clear?
- Accumulated snow places stress on your meter piping - damage to the piping can cause a gas leak.
- In case of emergency, emergency response crews need clear access to your meter.
- Blocked
regulator vents may result in abnormal pressure, affect appliance operation,
and interrupt service.
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