Heavy Snow and Furnace Trouble
Air Intake Blockages Can Mean Problems for Your Heating System
Heavy snowfall can cause many problems for homeowners. One of them is a locked furnace air intake pipe that can shut-down the heat or increase energy costs
Many northerners experience problems with their heating systems after a heavy snowfall. Before suffering through a cold night and making an expensive call to the furnace repair company, check to see if the inlets and outlets of your furnace are free from snow or ice. A sure sign of trouble is when a furnace repeatedly tries to start and is not successful. Air intakes are often blocked when snow sheds from a roof or drifts into the side of a house. A blocked air intake can greatly reduce the efficiency of a furnace and increased fuel or energy costs.
Finding the Furnace Air Intake - The furnace air intake should be apparent when looking at the heating equipment. Follow the intake back to where it penetrates the wall. This will point to the rough location of the inlet on the exterior wall. The intake pipe on most houses will be black or white and will slightly protrude from the wall. Intake pipes are normally curved down at their end to keep moisture out.
Keeping the Intake Clear - Once the intake pipe is located, correcting the problem is just a matter of shovel work. After the intake is cleared, be sure to check that snow is not plugging the pipe. It may be a good idea to flag the inlet's position to make it easier to locate after the next storm.
The furnace should restart automatically, if not, review the instructions found on it or in the owner's manual. In the furnace still fails to start, call the heating maintenance company. The regular service company is often associated with the home heating fuel provider or the company will leave a tag on the furnace from the last service visit.
Keep the Filter Clean - Once the furnace is freely receiving outside air, it is a good idea to check on the condition of the furnace air filter. A dirty filter cuts the airflow to the heating system and forces it to work harder, increasing energy costs. Clean filters can make a five percent difference in energy used. Purchase spare filters to have on hand and replace them regularly.
Regular heating system maintenance is just one way to save on energy costs. Homeowners in Canada can qualify for federal and provincial grants to conduct home energy audits like the ecoEnergy program offered by the non-profit organization Green$aver in Ontario. Savings for most homeowners will be immediate in this climate of soaring energy costs.
