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Keeping Exhaust Vents Clear Snow to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Buildup Submitted: 03/01/2013
Rhinelander - Snow piles grow bigger and bigger with throughout the winter. But you don't want that snow to pile up just anywhere around the house. Covering up vents and meters on the side of your house could be dangerous. If snow is blocking an appliance vent, it could cause maintance problems or worse. "With carbon monoxide being odorless and tasteless and you can't see it, there's a chance of carbon monoxide poisoning," says Evelyn Weyker, WPS Gas Engineer. That's just another reason why Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) encourages homeowners to have a carbon monoixde detector in your home. You also want to keep the METER along the side of your house free from snow. "When you've got your snow plow, you want to make sure you're not pushing that snow up against the gas meter or the regulator on the side of the house because it could block the vent from your regulator and then that would cause your regulator not to work properly and then you'd overpressure your equipment," says Weyker. Icicles can also cause problems if they fall on meters. Therefore, it is best to keep your house clear of them.

Written By: Melissa Constanzer

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