How to Maintain Your Snow Blower | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook gives tips on how to keep a snow blower running through every storm. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)

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Roger recommends the following routine maintenance for gas snowblowers:
• Changing the oil when it gets dark
• Checking belts and replacing as necessary
• Changing spark plugs that are dark and dirty
• Lubricating all moving parts with a spray lubricant
• Treating fuel with an ethanol stabilizer or using ethanol free fuel (especially for long term storage)
• Keeping extra shear pins on hand

All of these maintenance items and replacement parts can be found at small engine shops.

Shopping List for How to Maintain Your Snow Blower:
- 4-stroke engine oil
- Ethanol fuel stabilizer
- Replacement belts
- Shear pins
- Spark plug
- Spray lubricant

Tools for How to Maintain Your Snow Blower:
- Adjustable open-end wrench
- Socket wrench (for spark plugs)
- Used Oil Tray

Steps for How to Maintain Your Snow Blower:
1. For gas models, replace the engine oil when it gets dark by draining the old oil into a tray and taking to a recycling center. Install fresh oil and check the level with a dipstick.
2. Use high-octane fuel, and treat it with an ethanol fuel stabilizer. Or use ethanol-free fuel.
3. Check engine belts, and replace when worn.
4. Check spark plug, and replace when black.
5. Spray lubricant on all moving parts.
6. Keep extra shear pins on hand in case one breaks.

The electric snowblower that Roger showed is the Power Curve, manufactured by Toro [https://www.toro.com/en/].

The gas model was manufactured by Ariens [https://www.ariens.com/].

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Maintain Your Snow Blower | Ask This Old House
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Видео How to Maintain Your Snow Blower | Ask This Old House канала This Old House