How Your House Could Kill You In Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota

Brutally cold weather in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa is causing 3 very dangerous situations in homes that could be life-threatening.

According to Ice Dam Guys...”If air can’t escape your home or plumbing because the place it normally discharges from is frozen shut, then you’ve got a problem that’s somewhere between inconvenient and deadly.”

Here are 3 things to check at your home during these snowy, frigid cold winter days in Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota.

1)-Furnace, Water Heater, Boiler PVC Exhaust Pipe.

These exhaust pipes could be vented out the side of you house our out the roof.

Extremely cold winter temperatures can cause water vapor to freeze on these pipes.

From Advanpro...”If ice builds up towards the vent from the ground up, knock it over or remove it with a snow shovel. Never try to dislodge ice or snow using strong physical force — it can crack or break the vent pipe. If a furnace or hot water tank vent is freezing often, it may be improperly installed or require replacement.”

2)-Natural Gas Meter

Having a buildup of ice and snow on your home Natural Gas Meter can be deadly.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety states that “if it's blocked with snow or ice, the consequences aren't fun. At best, it could lead to a service interruption, which is pretty much the last thing you need when you're trying to stay warm inside. At worst, it could lead to a gas leak, which could cause a fire or even an explosion.”

3)-Sewer Vent PVC Pipe

Extremely cold winter temperatures can cause water vapor to freeze the sewer vent closed on the top of your house.

If this happens in could cause your drain water traps to dry out allowing dangerous gases to build up you your home possibly resulting in Sewer Gas Poisoning.

The best way to clear frozen sewer vents is to pour really hot water into the vent pipe.