Clear exterior vents from snow build up

We have seen a lot of snow this year, and some areas the snow drifts have become small mountains around the house. Be sure to check your exterior furnance and water heater vents (they are the plastic pipes that stick out from the house near the foundation). Many high efficiency furnances have an intake pipe and an exhaust pipe that stick out from the house, should these pipes become blocked or covered with snow it can cause the furnance to shut off or worse yet it can cause dangerous combustion gases to back up into the house. Be sure to clear a 3 foot area around the venting pipes and check the area periodically for any drift build up from the winds.