[Tweeters] Unsuspected bird hazard

[Helen Gilbert]

Hello Tweets,

On a recent cold night, we decided it was time for a little heat boost 
from the furnace. Wouldn't you know, the fan blew but no heat came out! 
After a week of negotiations about warranty coverage for the 9-year-old 
furnace, the repairman installed the replacement inducer motor today. 
Many exclamations of amazement emerged from the basement after he 
extracted the broken part.

The culprit was a chickadee that flew in the intake or exhaust pipe 
outside the house, couldn't get out, and jammed the motor so it burned 
out. A never-before-seen occurrence to the veteran repairman. Poor 
little guy.

To prevent future kamikaze visits to the furnace, the repairman 
recommends wrapping the mouths of the furnace vent pipes with wire mesh 
or bird netting. Who knew?!

Helen Gilbert
NE Seattle