It’s no secret that the cold weather can cause problems in our home and kill our car batteries.
However, when the weather hovers below -20 C, you also want to be on the lookout for vent freezing on the roof of your house.
This occurs when interior heat and condensation collide with cold air.
Cypress County Fire Services Chief Jason Linton saw it in his own house this morning.
“I woke up and my sinks were gurgling and I went outdoors and noticed that my roof vents were clogged off,” Linton said.
“Especially in older houses this happens this time of year, especially in this long duration of extreme cold temperatures.”
The issue needs to be taken seriously, because frozen vents can cause a buildup of deadly carbon monoxide gas.
Linton said Cypress County received multiple calls of gas smell in houses this week, due to frozen vents.
Linton told CHAT News that all homeowners should have a carbon monoxide alarm on each floor as a precaution.
You should also be on the lookout for low water flow in taps or toilets not flushing, all signs that a vent is clogged.
If you smell gas or rotten eggs in your house, call emergency services.
“The dispatch is directed to ask the homeowners just to step outside their house, go in the vehicle for a few minutes until we get there, just to make sure that there is no deadly gases in the house,” Linton said.
“We’ll get there and then we will clear the house and a lot of times we’ll have to refer the homeowner to their contractor to get the problem fixed.”
Doing a walk-around of your house and checking vents should be done often when the weather is this cold.
