GXi Outdoor Power 30SB, Owner'S Manual

Page: 23 / 40

19
30SB, 36SB, 45SB
Rev Nov2014
Snow BEAST
Avoiding Impeller Freeze ‐ Up
Impeller freeze ‐ up occurs when snow and ice remain in the impeller housing a er the job is fi nished.
The remaining snow and ice melts par ally and only temporarily due to residual heat in the snow
blower. The remaining mixture re ‐ freezes and essen ally “welds” the impeller to the impeller housing
and prevents rota on of the impeller.
Snow blowers are especially suscep ble to freeze ‐ up immediately a er use when the machine is
stored outside or in an un ‐ heated garage where the temperature is below freezing.
Residual snow in the discharge chute and impeller
housing melts in the heat of the engine and fric on
from other rota ng components. The mel ng
residual drips and fl ows to the bo om of the impeller
housing which is the furthest point from a heat
source. During very cold condi ons, the residual
cannot escape through the drain hole before it
freezes in the impeller housing and seizes the
impeller. The remaining snow and ice pools in the
bo om a er the drain hole, and con nues to build up
ice around the components. The drain hole is located
at the lowest point on the back of the impeller

Run the auger/impeller for a few minutes a er snow blower
use to clear any residual snow.

A er shu ng o ff the snow blower, dust o ff any remaining
snow.

Manually spin the impeller so that none of the blades point
straight down.

Place a heat ‐ source (an incandescent light bulb works well)
in the housing (see photo right).

Tarp the snow blower to retain the heat and to keep
addi onal snow o ff the machine. Use cau on when covering
a hot snow blower. The mu ffl er can melt covers or catch
fi re. Never cover a snow blower immediately a er
shutdown.
If the impeller is frozen up when the impeller / collector handle is engaged, the belts will bog down the
engine and the belts will begin to burn on the engine pulley since they cannot move, or a shear pin could
fail.
To avoid this, we recommend manually spinning the impeller before star ng the snow blower to ensure it
moves freely. If already frozen, a hairdryer will usually clear the ice quickly.
To avoid impeller freeze ‐ up when storing in cold condi ons, we recommend: