“The Chief Speaks” 

I was going to write about my pet peeve this month (candles) but changed my mind once the snow started to build up. 

WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES

While walking about the village area I have noticed the heavy build up of snow against many of the metal chimneys in the area, including my own.

The snow that has been falling has been the beautiful powder type we all dream of, but with the right conditions, once we light the fireplace, this light fluffy snow turns into a heavy block of ice.  This block of ice may shear off your metal chimney when it breaks loose and slides down the roof.

I have had this happen twice to my own chimney over the past 15 years so I am very cautious before I light my fireplace.

Before I light it I always take a walk around to the back of the building and check to make sure the chimney is where it belongs, on the top of the pipe coming through the roof, not laying in the snow.  If the chimney is knocked off it may leave some of the roof rafters, or some of the roof decking, exposed to the hot exhaust gases from the fireplace, which will, in turn, ignite if the fireplace is lit, causing a structure fire.

Fires that burn inside the roof and walls of a structure are extremely hard to extinguish without ripping apart the walls and/or the roof structure that in itself, can be very difficult, if not impossible, if the roof is covered in a deep layer of snow.

Please make sure everything is as it should be before striking a match to light a fire.

PROPANE HEATERS

Many of these heaters vent through the sidewall of the structure and these vents, when not in use (i.e. cold), can get covered and blocked with snow.  Some, even when in use, can become blocked by snow sliding off the neighbour's roof or even your own roof.  In many cases the heater will appear to be functioning properly but in fact, the snow blocking the vent is forcing the exhaust gases back into the building.

Carbon Monoxide ('the silent killer') is invisible and odorless, it causes drowsiness, unconsciousness and ultimately, death.  Mild carbon monoxide asphyxiation will give you the worst hangover you can imagine.

For these heaters that vent out the side wall, there is another scenario that is possible.  The vent is not blocked but the area around the vent is covered, leaving a space between the structure and the snow that allows the hot exhaust gases to rise to the soffit vents and into the structure.  The gases then cool and find their way into the interior rooms through those little cracks and spaces we don't even know are there.  Remember that a vent through the wall not only vents the hot exhaust to the outside, it also pulls in the fresh air required for complete combustion of the fuel.  If it is pulling back in the exhaust gases the fuel cannot burn properly, and that costs you money.