Winter is just around the corner, and with it comes earlier sunsets, freezing temperatures and snow. Dealing with snow in your driveway is just part of being a home or business owner, and you want to know that you can rely on your snow removal equipment. Snow blowers are popular machines that many people count on, and just like any other machine, they require regular maintenance if they’re to perform when called upon.

Fortunately, snow blower troubleshooting in Pennsylvania can often be simpler than people expect if they know what to look for and how to perform some basic maintenance.

The engine stalls or won’t start

Storing untreated gas is the easiest way to risk having your snow blower balk when you try to start it up. This is often the result of not burning off all the gas at the end of the previous snowy season, so be sure you’re doing this every year. If you consult your owner’s manual, you’ll also see that many manufacturers recommend that you add a fuel stabilizer to prevent corrosion of the engine. This is easiest to do right at the pump when you’re filling your gas container—otherwise, the gas might separate over time and create a layer of water that can wreak havoc on the engine and ensure it’s not able to start and run properly.

Machine leaves snow behind

There’s nothing more frustrating than doing your first pass, looking back and still seeing snow on the ground where you just were. This can lead to dangerous and slippery packed snow and ice, so you should take care of it right away. A good snow blower troubleshooting tip in Pennsylvania to help address this problem is to replace your scraper bar. These can wear down over time, as can any part that’s getting beat up on asphalt and gravel. Replacing it is usually a simple task—consult the manual or the internet for the right part, and then it’s usually just a matter of removing and replacing a few bolts to get the new one on.

Snow blower is difficult to maneuver

People having trouble steering their snow blowers is another common snow blower problem that needs fixing in Pennsylvania. These are powerful machines, so they do take some skill to steer, but if it’s getting noticeably more difficult, then you might have a problem with your steering cables. These can loosen over time just from the machine running, and maintaining the proper tension is crucial to make sure the machine doesn’t lurch all over the place. Simply unclip the cable from the handle and then tighten up the threaded adjustment (this should be at the base of the machine). This may take more than one attempt, as it involves a little bit of trial and error, but this should solve the problem.

Snow blower troubleshooting in Pennsylvania usually just requires ordering one or two new parts and breaking out the toolbox. The best tip we can offer is to fire up your machine before you need to use it—nobody wants to try and do repairs in a blizzard! At Central Equipment Company, we service all sorts of machines, so if you have a problem that you don’t think you can handle alone, call us today!