Winter here in Alberta is a beautiful time of year but keeping that snow and ice away from your gas meter and vents is an imperative part of keeping your home appliances running well through the long winter months.
With COVID-19 continuing to impact our lives in so many ways we wanted to provide a quick do-it-yourself tip for keeping your gas appliances working safely over these remaining winter months. This won’t cost you any money and is easy to do! We have touched on this before but it is an ongoing problem if you live in a snowy, cold climate!
Its imperative to keep snow and ice away from your gas meter and the outside vents for your natural gas appliances. This helps ensure that both the meter and these appliances function properly and safely. Another benefit to keeping area clear is it allows access to the meter if there is an emergency. But, you may ask, “why do the vents or meter matter?”
Blocked external exhaust vents can cause the carbon monoxide emitted by these appliances to build up in your home rather than vent properly to the outside which of course can then become a safety hazard. A gas meter covered in snow or ice may not control the pressure of the gas being supplied to your home. This can put your family at serious risk..
Never shovel or blow snow up against the gas meter or the vents
Clear vents with a broom handle or something similar, breaking up ice and clearing snow out of these vents
Do not bump your meter with a snow blower, shovel or other heavy object
Do not kick your gas meter or vent pipes in an attempt to clear ice and snow
If there is an eavestrough above your gas meter keep it clear of melting ice so there are no drops that fall on your gas meter or vents and refreeze over night
Always, always have a working, approved carbon monoxide detector installed on every floor of your home. These should be at knee height, minimum 15-20 feet from any gas appliance, within 10’ of your garage if attached to your home, out of direct sunlight and not near a window.
Never hang a hose or other objects on your vents
