Northwest Iowa — With the extra cold temperatures and snow blowing furiously the past couple of days, some reminders are in order according to some experts.
Northwest Iowa fire chiefs say if you only have an older gas furnace, your furnace exhaust probably leaves your house from a chimney on your roof. But if your furnace is new in the last 20 years or so, you probably have a high-efficiency gas furnace. Those usually vent out of the side of your house, usually low to the ground. They say the exhaust that comes out of them is a lot cooler, but tell us the exhaust also has water vapor in it, which can cause a problem when temperatures outside are very low. The vapor can condense and freeze, sometimes blocking the pipe. And that’s obviously very bad because carbon monoxide will build up in your home.
The chiefs are reminding us that not only can the pipes freeze up, but snow can drift around the pipe, also blocking it, and causing the same carbon monoxide issues.
Similar things can happen that also cause issues. For instance, according to Sanborn Fire Chief Randy Lyman, their firefighters were called out Friday morning for a carbon monoxide call. After investigation, firefighters found that the chimney was plugged with a bird’s nest. They took care of that and aired out the house.
Sewer gases can also cause issues. Sioux Center Fire Chief Dave Van Holland tells us about a couple of recent calls in which sewer vent pipes on rooves iced up and were blocking the sewer gas from leaving the home. Not only does sewer gas smell awful, it can also be hazardous to your health too as it can contain hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and carbon monoxide.
Then there is the problem of chimney fires. The National Fire Protection Association says that a leading factor contributing to home heating fires is creosote buildup from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys. Creosote is a natural byproduct of woodburning. They recommend that if you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove that you have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.
