If your home has a newer heating system, the ongoing frigid temperatures could pose a problem. That is the word from Chad Brown of Brown’s Plumbing and Heating in Steinbach.

“Newer high-efficiency furnaces use the plastic pipes that go out the side of your house as opposed to a metal chimney going out the roof,” explains Brown. “And one problem we see in this cold weather is that those vents freeze up and that leads to a situation where you have no heat, which is no fun.”

While the new systems are advantageous in most regards, Brown says they do produce exhaust with a higher moisture content which makes ice buildup a possibility over periods of prolonged cold.

“You don’t want to take a hammer to it or anything, but usually it breaks off pretty easily if you gently remove it with your hand,” offers Brown who encourages homeowners to check their exhaust pipes regularly.

Meanwhile, many people have the misconception that a blocked furnace exhaust pipe can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning inside the home, however, in Brown’s experience, that is highly unlikely.

“In order for you to have a carbon monoxide problem, it would mean there were several other problems with your furnace,” he details. When combined with a cracked heat exchanger, a loose gasket, or a defective pressure switch he says an ice blockage could pose a problem, by itself though, a loss of heating would be the only notable repercussion.

“It is still good to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home,” stresses Brown, who says that piece of advice is relevant all year round and has nothing to do with the cold.