Friday, March 02, 2007
Furnace Update
Well, we thought we had fixed the furnace by removing snow from the outdoor pipes, but we were mistaken, albeit that was part of the problem. Did you know that there is also a vent on the gas meter that has to be clear at all times? Yup, the things you learn when something goes wrong. So, everything outside was clear, but we were still having trouble. We could hear the furnace trying to start, the fan was going, but it wasn't igniting. Okay, it was igniting maybe once an hour, which is not often enough, and it wasn't staying on long enough to heat the house. We were down to 60 degrees F this morning. Another call to Dad. He said to check the drain hose on the furnace. A little bit of condensation forms inside the furnace, which is drained through a tube that comes through the furnace wall and down into a pump. If this is plugged, the furnace won't work. We messed with the hose and the pump and the furnace fired up. It's been operational since, but we still want someone to come look at it to be sure there isn't some other problem and to fuss with the drain hose a bit. The interior drain hose is pinched, so that might be causing the problem. More furnace tips of the week, and more shoveling. Ahh, it's Minnesota.
Labels: dad, drain, furnace, minnesota, problem, shoveling, snow, temperature
Thursday, March 01, 2007
More Snow
We are making up for lost time in Minnesota. After a winter practically devoid of snow, within one week we've gained inches and inches. Last weekend we got fourteen inches. Between yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we're expecting another foot or so. My shoulders certainly feel it. I'm soft from not having to shovel before this, so lifting pounds and pounds of snow is giving me a workout I'm not used to. I swear I spent more time outside than inside today. I've been trying to shovel every so often so I don't have to try to move mountains of it all at once. 'Round about three o'clock this afternoon, I collapsed on the couch with my Wired magazine in a funk of white-hot exhaustion. I wasn't a happy camper for a couple of hours. My kids, on the other hand, were delighted. They were released early from school. Yippee!
In the midst of all the shoveling, our furnance decided to quit working. I put on my geek hat and tried turning the switch off and on a couple of times. I opened the front panels and checked to make sure the wires were all attached. Then, I called my dad. He asked if the ventilation pipes for the furnace were blocked. Sure enough, when I went outside to check, the air intake pipe was completely covered (with snow, what else?). When this happens, or when the balance between the intake and exhaust pipes is upset, the furnace has a safety switch that keeps the furnace from turning on. As soon as I cleared the pipes, she fired up. There you have it, your furnace maintenance tip of the week.
In the midst of all the shoveling, our furnance decided to quit working. I put on my geek hat and tried turning the switch off and on a couple of times. I opened the front panels and checked to make sure the wires were all attached. Then, I called my dad. He asked if the ventilation pipes for the furnace were blocked. Sure enough, when I went outside to check, the air intake pipe was completely covered (with snow, what else?). When this happens, or when the balance between the intake and exhaust pipes is upset, the furnace has a safety switch that keeps the furnace from turning on. As soon as I cleared the pipes, she fired up. There you have it, your furnace maintenance tip of the week.
Labels: dad, exhaustion, furnace, geek, minnesota, school, shoveling, snow, winter, wired
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Clean-up
About fourteen inches of snow later - with a few more inches expected tonight - and this morning it was time for Minnesotans to clean up. The plows were out. The husband shoveled. The neighbors shoveled. I got in the car to retrieve our boys from sleepovers and got stuck. Help was immediately on the way. When I drove around, being careful to avoid plow debris, there were people out everywhere, shoveling and snowblowing and plowing. I never see so many people on the street and in their yards as when there has been a massive snowstorm. And everyone is so helpful. Our boys helped shovel out a couple of sidewalks; our daughter plans to do the same this afternoon. There's still the car to clean off and shovel out in the backyard, which I'll be doing momentarily.
All this work, and the fluffy white stuff is simply beautiful. Ahhh.
All this work, and the fluffy white stuff is simply beautiful. Ahhh.
Labels: children, husband, minnesota, shoveling, snow, weather
