Fortunately for all of us living in Ottawa winter is almost over. However this time of year sometimes we are graced with one more big snow storm before spring arrives. In the winter time there’s nothing that a homeowner loves more than a clean driveway and clean pathways free of snow so that walking is a breeze and accessing your vehicle in your driveway doesn’t feel like you’re taking a trip up a mountain. In order to keep your driveway clean you need to make sure that your snow blower is working in Tip-Top shape.
The problem is that after big snow storms when your snowblower has been cleaning up all of that snow and ice your snowblower chute can become clogged. If you happen to notice that your snowblower Chute is clogged up after every snow storm don’t worry there are several things that you can check to get your snowblower working as expected and grinding through that compact snow. Clogs in your snowblower chute can occur at the top of your snowblower Chute where the snow blows out or the clog can occur in the auger. The snowblower auger is where the snow first enters the machine. Even though it’s not usually a difficult task to remove a clog from your snowblower, you can definitely save yourself a lot of time and energy by following a few simple steps that can help prevent your snowblower Chute from becoming clogged in the first place.
How do snowblowers become clogged?
To understand these simple methods of unclogging your snowblower, it can help to understand how your snowblower becomes clogged in the first place. Your snowblower will become clogged when ice or sticky snow after a snowstorm builds up around your machines auger or the top of your Chute where snow is discharged. This build up in your snowblower prevent snow from exiting your snowblower like it normally would. This is especially true if the snow is particularly icy because this type of condition will cause your snowblower to clog more often compared to more lightweight snow that is softer. However it is definitely possible for your snowblower to become clogged and any of these conditions. Furthermore, snow blowers can become clogged if when you are clearing your driveway or pathways the machine is not moved forward fast enough. Is always best to move your snowblower at an even pace because if you go too slow the snow will move through your snowblower more slowly thus increasing the possibility of a buildup that will clog your snowblower.
How to prevent snowblower clogs
On to the good news, you can prevent clogs from happening in your snowblower and of course you can always unclog your snowblower if it does become clogged. One prevention method that works well to prevent snow blower clogs is to spray you’re snowblower with a nonstick snowblower spray. Similar to cooking spray, this will help to keep the surfaces inside your snowblower slippery which will make it difficult for the snow to build up and attach itself inside your snowblower. All you have to do is spray this aerosol liquid inside your snowblower on the auger as well as the inside of your snowblower’s discharge chute. You can pick up a can of this aerosol spray at most hardware stores in Ottawa. Another option of course would be the just move your snowblower faster when you remove the snow from your driveway or your walkway. The faster that you move the less likely you are to have a clog in your snowblower because the snow will be pushed your discharge chute at a more rapid pace.
How to unclog your snowblower
If however you are unable to prevent a clogged and you do find that your snowblower has become clogged, do not attempt to unclog your snowblower with your hands or your feet. This can be extremely dangerous. The best thing you can do is to turn off your snowblower and wait at least 10 to 30 seconds for your snowblower to come to a complete stop. Once your snowblower has stopped fully, take a long broom handle or similar stick type object and use this to clear any blockages in your snowblower chute or auger areas. In fact most snow blowers today will come with a special tool for unclogging that you can use for this exact purpose. This is the best way for you to clear your machine of clogs.
If you find that the end result was actually not a clog in your machine just isn’t functioning properly give us a call and we can take a look for you and provide you with snowblower maintenance, tune-ups and even on site snowblower repairs in Ottawa. Occasionally we have had some customers that are hesitant to remove a snowblower clog themselves and we can even help with this to as part of our maintenance and repair service for small engines in Ottawa. Happy snow removal and we look forward to servicing you soon.