Heating appliance safety – after a flood

 

Tropical Depression Ida or other recent storms brought extensive flooding and devastation to our area. And, the safety of our customers and employees remains our number one priority. We are emphasizing the need for all customers who have boilers and furnaces that were exposed to floodwaters NOT to operate them without first having them safety checked.

The appliances may look fine to the naked eye once floodwaters have receded, but they still could be damaged. In a worst case scenario, starting a damaged boiler or furnace could lead to fire or explosion.

Rather than risk a dangerous situation that can lead to severe injuries, we strongly advise you to make an appointment to have your heating system checked and/or repaired. You can make an appointment through the PSE&G mobile app, pseg.com/myaccount, with your voice using the Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant[i] apps, or calling 1-800-436-7734 (PSEG).

Overheating

Floodwaters can interfere with your heating system’s safety controls. The failure of safety controls can cause your appliance to overheat and reach exceedingly high temperatures and pressures, also causing it to run continuously.

Your system may be overheating if it:

• Will not shut off.
• Is a cherry red color.
• Has paint peeling off.
• Is leaking water or steam.
• Has temperature or pressure gauges at the highest levels.

Do not attempt to handle this problem on your own, and never add water to a hot boiler or try to cool it down by spraying water on it. This action could cause you to be severely burned by steam.

What to expect from a PSE&G technician

If you contact PSE&G to have a technician check an overheating appliance, our technician will:

• Inform you to evacuate, and not re-enter until instructed.
• Shut off the gas to the premise.
• Wait eight hours, to allow the appliance to cool down.
• Check the appliance to make necessary repairs or red tag it for disposal. (There is no charge for the appliance review, but there are repair charges for non-PSE&G Worry Free customers.)

For gas emergencies, call 1-800-880-7734 (PSEG). You should keep this number visible and stored with your other emergency numbers.

More information on gas safety and storm safety is available via pseg.com.