Check the Gas Meter for Ice

When people chill, they tend not to vent. Your gas regulator behaves much the same way. For people, this is good. For regulators, not so good.

What?

Check for ice on the gas meter

When?

Periodically throughout winter.

Why?

The gas meter is equipped with a regulator to ensure that excessively high pressure gas does not enter your home. Ice can obstruct the vents on the regulator, causing it to malfunction.

How?

Gas meters or regulators that ice up regularly are usually below the dripline of a roof and receive concentrated amounts of water or snow coming off the roof.

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If the meter is iced up or buried in snow, contact your gas utility. Do not attempt to chip the ice off the meter, which could damage the meter and cause a gas leak.

Tips

• Next spring, make sure that leaking gutters are not causing the problem.

Test Your Garage Door Opener

Most newer automatic door openers have built-in safety features. Make sure yours works properly. Check it regularly to safeguard your family.

What?

Test the safety features of your automatic garage door opener.

When?

Government safety commissions recommend that you do this monthly, but we believe that if you test every six months, you will be way ahead of almost everyone.

Why?

Changes in temperature and humidity cause expansion or contraction of the door, tracks and door frame -- all affecting the ease of operation of the door. If the door is difficult to move, the sensitivity setting on the opener cannot be set up properly, and the door will not automatically reverse in an emergency.

How?

Follow these simple steps. If your door fails any of these tests, adjust it yourself or call in a garage door expert. Do not make any adjustments to the springs, counterbalance weights, or cables. These components are under considerable tension and can cause serious injury if they are released accidentally.

First, make sure the door is balanced and travels freely. With the door open, disconnect the drive mechanism from the door by pulling the emergency release cord, dangling from the center of the top of the door. Close and open the door manually to ensure that it moves easily. It should not take much force.

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Next, ensure the door is balanced properly by pulling the door halfway down and letting go. It should not go up or fall down.

Push the door up and reconnect the door to the opener. Place a full roll of paper towels on the floor, in the middle of the door opening, and press the button to make the door close. The door should compress the roll of paper towels and then automatically reverse. If it does not, open the door and adjust the sensitivity of the opener. Try it again. If you can't get the door to auto reverse, call a specialist.

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Tips

• An electric eye, mounted four to six inches above the floor, is an excellent added safety feature (and is required on openers manufactured since 1993).

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• The door should not auto reverse in the last inch of travel. This prevents the door from opening if a piece of gravel gets caught under the door.
• Place push buttons high on the wall where children cannot reach them. Lots of kids like to play "beat the door," by pushing the button and rolling under the door just before it closes.