Deep snow covers Daybreak family's exhaust vents, causing heat to shut off


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SOUTH JORDAN — Deep snow in the Daybreak community shut off the heating system in at least one home, but the reason might surprise you.

Katy Marlow woke up to feet, not inches, of snow Wednesday, and she woke up to something else, too.

"Noticed that my house was a little cold and went to go kick up the heater and it wouldn't kick on," she said.

She called her dad, who told her to check the exhaust vents outside.

"I went outside and sure enough they were completely blocked," Marlow said. "I shoveled them off and as soon as they were uncovered, I came back in the house and the heater kicked back on."

It was such a simple fix, her husband told her to share it on the Daybreak Facebook page.

"You wouldn't think of it honestly. You'd be like, why is my heater not working, like my wife said," Joel Marlow said. "Several people were posting, 'I called the heater people. I didn't even know about that.'"

Jake Shelley is a service technician for Whipple Service Champions.

Vents on the side of a home in Daybreak community of South Jordan Wednesday. They were covered by snow, which prevented the home's heater from working.
Vents on the side of a home in Daybreak community of South Jordan Wednesday. They were covered by snow, which prevented the home's heater from working. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)

"You've got to make sure that your vents are cleared," Shelley said. "Sometimes they can be under the snow level. That exhaust needs to vent clearly."

Shelley said exhaust vents can be found on roofs or near the foundation of homes. They're easy to spot — if they're not snowed over.

"It looks like steam coming up the side of the house," Shelley said. Something the Marlows will now be sure is exposed, rain, snow or shine.

"This is a crazy amount of snow that we got," Joel Marlow said.

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Debbie Worthen, KSLDebbie Worthen
Debbie Worthen brings nearly two decades of award-winning journalism experience to the KSL Newsroom and is thrilled be working for Utah’s legacy news organization. She anchors KSL 5 News at 4 and Live at 5 with Mike Headrick and reports for KSL 5 News at 10pm. There are countless things Debbie enjoys about working in local news, but storytelling is at the top of the list. Whether it’s meeting the remarkable people of Utah as they do amazing things, informing viewers of critical breaking news and issues that impact their communities or reporting on daily assignments like weather and traffic, Debbie is honored to be the one trusted to tell Utahn’s stories. She believes journalistic integrity and a commitment to accuracy have never been more important than they are now. Debbie started her career as a writer, producer and traffic reporter while finishing her communications degree at The University of Utah before making the jump to a full-time on-air position. (Although you could say she caught the news “bug” at KOLT-News at Cottonwood High School.) After several moves across the country, Debbie and her husband, Brandon Gilbert, moved to Utah to start their family. They love everything Utah has to offer and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside the office, Debbie and her family are advocates for at-risk youth and have fostered several children through Utah Foster Care. As a family they enjoy movie nights in the basement, trying new recipes and, a few times a year, traveling to exotic locations!

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