Your furnace has an exhaust vent that typically is a PVC pipe coming out of the side of your house. In the wintertime it’s important to keep this vent clear of snow and ice. You furnace may actually stop running if this vent is covered and if it doesn’t shut off dangerous gases can enter your home. This keeps dangerous carbon monoxide gas out of your home.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can be deadly if exposed for too long. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be headaches, dizziness, nausea, etc. These symptoms are things we may ignore and assume they will go away that is why it’s important to have a carbon monoxide alarm in your house to alert you before it is too late.
To clear snow and ice from the vent pipe. Carefully dig out the snow around the area. If ice is in the pipe carefully chip it away or use a hair dryer to melt out the inside. Make sure to also clear the snow away from your gas/electric meters to keep them from malfunctioning or running less efficiently.