SMCICT

Rely on qualified repair and service to keep your furnace in shape. All furnaces, especially the oil-fired variety, need annual end-of- summer inspections. Burners need cleaning, oil nozzles need replacement, and often the electrodes and ignition device need cleaning and adjustment. None of these are jobs for the weekend handyman.
You can locate qualified furnace technicians through your mobile
home park operator, your fuel supplier, a list of authorized technicians in your Owner’s Warranty package, or the telephone directory.
You need a competent gas technician to convert yor natural gas system to Ip gas or vice versa. He can also see problems developing and correct them before your furnace fails. Schedule yearly furnace inspections into your budget; they may save you large repair bills and inconvenience later.
You also want dependable service fast when heating emergencies occur. For example, anytime you smell burnt oil or gas, you need a technician. Combustion should be odorless. Turn off the furnace. Open your windows. Call your repairman immediately. He’s more likely to respond quickly or at odd hours if you’re a known customer.

Maintaining an oil-fired heating system requires more work then with gas or electric. You maintain the furnace itself about the same,
but in addition you need to keep a close eye on your fuel tank and
fuel lines.
[ Ideally, an oil system operates best if you keep the fuel tank full, even during summer. Condensation can form on the walls of an empty or partially empty tank. This water has no place to go but to
r the bottom of the tank, since oil and water don’t mix. Sediment also collects along the tank bottom. To avoid heating problems, drain water and sediment from your tank at the start of each heating season. Open the drain and let it run until you see only clean oil, with no dirt or water-bubbles in it.
The fuel supply needs a filter where the fuel line runs from the bottom of the tank. Sometimes it’s a tossup, though, which is worse—sediment in the oil from the tank, or air and fibers in the oil from the filter. With your furnace technician, explore the best oilstorage method for your particular furnace.
Leaks in oil lines waste fuel, and let air into the fuel mixture prematurely. Tighten loose joints.

Liquefied petroleum (bottled) gas fuels many mobile-home furnaces. The worst hazard in an Ip system is leaks. Every time your time settles and requires re blocking, check all the joints in the gas lines. Your park operator may use a manometer to test for leaks. You can test with dish washing liquid and a sponge dauber. Apply the fluid soap generously at every joint. Don’t miss a single one, from gas-bottle hookup and regulator to the last appliance connection. If even one bubble appears, tighten that joint.
Anytime you detect the distinctive garlic-like odor of lp gas, toxic— and explosive—fumes may be escaping. Turn off the main valve and examine the system. However, other situations may bring out the Lp gas odor: tanks sitting in hot sun, for example. Cool the tanks with water or cover them with a light-colored canvas. Gas odor often signals a low fuel supply. You may also detect the odor for a short time after bottles have been refilled.
If your Ip supply rests in a rack, inspect the rack twice yearly. Clean off rust with steel wool and repaint the racks. Inspect bottle clamps every time you have the bottles filled. They must hold the bottles snugly. Do not tamper with the gas regulator or bleedoff valve. Do not attempt to handle Ip gas bottles or connections without gloves. The extremely cold vapor can frostbite your skin severely.
Call your mobile-home servicer, furnace technician, or lp gas supplier for yearly furnace servicing and adjustment, or when the furnace needs repair.

Look for specific maintenance instructions attached to your furnace housing. Various designs call for different maintenance procedures.
Natural gas furnaces need only simple maintenance. Changing filters regularly, plus oiling the motor and keeping it clean, make for worry-free operation. The whole furnace needs occasional cleaning. Dirt gathers in the furnace closet, around the blower, and inside the furnace housing. Vacuum these areas once a month, when you inspect the filters. Make sure the whole furnace power circuit is off before you vacuum inside the furnace or blower casement. Never use your furnace closet for storage. Remove the registers and vacuum the heating ducts frequently. Wash grimy ducts and registers with detergent.
If you ever smell gas, open the windows to vent the fumes outside. The gas range pilot may have gone out or a burner valve may left open accidentally. If you don’t find the problem there, turn off your main gas valve. Call your gas utility and report a leak. It will receive their immediate attention. Whatever you do, DON’T light match; instant disaster could result. If you live in a mobile home park, call the management too. Get that leak sealed before you use any gas appliance, even if it means eating out or sleeping in a motel day or two. Gas explosions are devastating.