snow blower

About that snow blower…

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Okay, time to catch up on the snow blower situation!

20190213.driveway
This driveway was not cleared with a snow blower.

We headed out to pick it up yesterday, along with the two chain saws.

The guy walked me through what he did. Along with cleaning out the carburetor, he added an inline fuel shut off valve, which would help with a leak. There already was a metal shut off valve, but it was not the sort that should be turned open and closed often, as it would wear out more quickly than the one he added. He mentioned that the float seems to stick, which concerned him a bit, but he tested it out on a snow drift, and it worked just fine. He mentioned that the sticking float was causing it to run at full throttle, and showed me what he did as a work-around – something I was already doing. He started it up – of course, it gave him a hard time! – and did a bit of a demo for me. Then he drove it out of the shop and left it running while his dad (the owner of the shop) walked me through what was done with the chain saws. After I paid for everything, the mechanic grabbed some ramps and drove the snow blower into the van for us.

Then he had to take it out and drive it back it in, because he loaded it faster than I could tell him it had to go in backwards, or we couldn’t close the door!

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Well, that’s not good

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The formation of icicles outside our bathroom window was noted recently.

Since that window looks into the sun room, not outdoors, this is something that should not be happening.

My first thought was condensation, but after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that didn’t make sense.

So when I went out to do the cat stuff this morning, I remembered to check out the window from the other side.

I found this.

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Snow blower status

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So, after not getting a call back from the small engine place, yesterday, I called them first thing this morning.

Which was a good thing, because it turned out my number that I left with them somehow got separated from my name.

I was talking to the owner this time, and he’s the one who worked on the snow blower in the first place, so it only took a moment for him to remember which one it was – it’s a rather unique piece of equipment, compared to what they usually work on.

In talking about the kill switch, he suggested that his son, who would be the one coming to get the snow blower, might be able to just fix it at our place!

Which would have been awesome.

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Well, crud

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Still no working snow blower.

I got the kill switch off – that took longer than expected, as the guy that installed it added a ring above the nut that kept it from unscrewing. Which is great, except that it was so thin, it took me a while to even see it through my frosted up glasses. But see it I did, and found the right tool to get it off, and then it came off fine.

Also, my brother has the patience of a saint.

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Had a snow-down – and I won!

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Happy 6th day of Christmas!

Things have not gone as planned, thanks to some rather unfortunate weather. We were supposed to go into the city for a family gathering yesterday. We drove maybe 5 minutes on the highway, before turning around and coming home. Blowing snow, icy roads, poor visibility… and knowing it would be worse when we were driving home in the dark. Too risky. Maybe if we had a 4 wheel drive and winter tires, but not with our van.

We didn’t have a lot of snow, but it did get to the point that we needed to clear the driveway. Which meant time to break out the snow blower for the first time! :-D

Except, of course, it wouldn’t start…

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