Gas Or Oil

One of the nicest things about older houses -- we think -- is the "interesting" old heating systems -- the tank in the bathroom, the pipe that runs through the roof, the pipes that rattle and clank like Marley's ghost, the radiators that hiss and bang.Sure, it may occasionally be noisy, and it may need more care and feeding than your average modern forced-air system. But it's great heat, steady, efficient and draftless, and once you understand how it works, it will be fairly clear when repairs are in order.

Expecting a child? In the flurry of baby preparations, don't forget to childproof your home. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that home hazards kill or injure about 2.5 million children every year. Here's what the commission and others suggest you do to make your house safe: * Bathrooms: Install a safety latch on the toilet seat and safety covers on the faucet handles - unless you're planning to keep Baby out altogether by putting a latch on the door, suggests the UCSF Children's Hospital in California.

Q: I've made my home more energy-efficient and I'm concerned about carbon monoxide (CO) gas poisoning. I've heard that CO gas-poisoning symptoms often are mistaken for the flu. How can I check my home?A: Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that kills thousands of people each year, many in their sleep. It is estimated that many thousands more suffer short- and long-term health problems from low-concentration CO gas poisoning without ever realizing the cause.Many of the initial CO gas poisoning symptoms are very similar to flu symptoms -- persistent headaches, sleepiness, lack of energy, nausea, weakness, reddening of face, red or burning eyes, shortness of breath, etc. Consult your physician if you have these symptoms.

Twice as nice It's a tool with a split personality. Yes, it even changes with the weather, but don't call it flighty. The Power Shovel Plus was just made that way. The Toro Company's new 13-pound power shovel easily converts to a power broom. Use the shovel for snow accumulations of six inches or less. Its 7.5-amp motor powers the shovel to throw snow up to 20 feet away. Maintenance-free, the shovel requires no gas or oil and simply plugs into any outlet. And at the turn of a wrench, the shovel converts to a power broom for clearing leaves, dirt and debris.

For years, area power plants have strained to run the air conditioners Marylanders use to combat the summer swelters. But feeding power to electric heaters and blankets during winter cold snaps has been, well, a snap.That is about to change.A boom in the construction of electrically heated homes has pushed Marylanders' winter power demand up so quickly that Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. expects winter use to overtake still-increasing summer peaks early in the next decade, company officials have said.

Yesterday's announcement that Texaco was seeking state permission to drill a $4 million exploratory oil and gas well in Charles County got a cautious welcome from local politicians, who must grant permits for the construction."

EVERY NOW AND then, some topic seems to grab readers' attention. A couple of years ago it was roofs; this time around it's heat pumps.A reader in Columbia wrote to ask whether to take advantage of a chance to connect to existing gas lines and trade in his heat pump for a gas furnace. His heat pump is relatively new, but the air-handling system is two decades old.Most people who want to trade in the heat pump feel that it doesn't deliver warm-enough air. Although the air coming out of the ducts is 85 degrees, it's colder than body or skin temperature, so it can feel cold.

You won't necessarily find their polysyllabic names on any labels, but scientists are finding dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) -- chemicals that turn to gas at normal room temperatures -- haunting our indoor air. They are used in hundreds of household products. Here are some ways you can improve the quality of the air at home:* Gather up opened cans of paint, varnishes, thinners, strippers and stains and store them in an unattached garage or shed. The molecules of VOCs are so tiny that they'll escape from an opened container, no matter how tightly you reseal it.* Gather up automotive products, such as chrome polish, brake cleaner and car wax and stack them in the shed next to the paints.

A pre-winter tuneup for your home's central heater can often pay off with significant fuel savings as well as increased safety.An annual checkup by a technician is best for any type of heater, including electric heat pumps, and is most important from a safety standpoint for older heaters fired by oil and gas.Oil-fired heating equipment is especially subject to a buildup of soot in the internal combustion surfaces, smoke pipes and ZTC chimney. These areas should be vacuumed and cleaned by a technician, who can also change the burner nozzle and filter and adjust the fire so the heater works at peak efficiency.

Water. Cool, refreshing gulps of water. It's something Americans take for granted -- at least we once did. But this year, first Milwaukee and now Washington, of all places, have been the datelines for stories about unpotable water.Throughout the District and parts of Northern Virginia last week, people were scrambling to obtain something as simple and essential as drinking water. Heavy rains had clouded the reservoirs serving the area, raising fears that contaminated water could make people sick.