Snow Blowers

We have been trying to find out exactly what CARB compliance means for snow blowers for the past hour and have only found the following definition, which is not complete, however it is the best we could find. Most engines in California, must be CARB compliant. The objective is to manage the level of pollution in all gasoline and diesel burning engines. California has some of the most restrictive controls in the country to help them deal with SMOG issues they have in major metro areas.  This is good for all of the country, not just California. It comes from Amazon.

“CARB is an acronym for California Air Resource Board, whose stringent air-quality standards have been adopted by many states. A Non-CARB Compliant Engine fails to meet these standards. While CARB-compliant engines run cleaner than non-compliant models, they still emit pollutants.”

CARB Compliant Explained

We wanted to add this definition to our blog, because many snow blowers indicate that they are CARB compliant and we really did not know what it meant. If you live in California, just about any engine you purchase must be CARB compliant, while other states are in various stages of adopting this standard. California has some of the toughest anti pollution laws in North America. If you have ever been in LA during the summer time, they you will understand why. The haze over the city can be really bad, so much so that sometimes you cannot even see downtown from some of the distant suburbs.

While all engines emit pollutants, CARB compliant engines will emit far less pollution so it is important to do your part to contribute to cleaner air for all of us. We already have far too much pollution in our air.

That is about all we can say so far about CARB Compliance as it relates to snow blowers, however we did find that it also applies to lawn mowers and most small engines in California. Also they have extended this compliance requirement to diesel engines as well which covers tractor trailers. Truckers you must pay attention to this requirement across the country, but especially in California.

Maintain Your Engine

A CARB compliant engine only really meets this condition as long as it is maintained well. This means changing the oil regularly and using the right gasoline for your engine.

Consumers can reduce the pollution caused by lawn mowers by making sure that the spark plug is always clean and gaped properly. They should use fresh gasoline. They should use a 4 cycle engine and not a 2 cycle engine which burns oil in the gasoline. The oil should be changed on a regular basis. Clean oil protects your engine as well. It will ensure that it lasts a lot longer than it would other wise. Even after 6 months of use, your oil will be black. It will not doing a very good job of lubricating your engine.

Many people do not bother with this kind of basic maintenance and a CARB compliant engine can quickly become non CARB compliant simply due to lack of good maintenance.  Take the time now to evaluate your oil right now in your snow blowers engine or your lawn mowers, consider  the last time it was changed and make arrangements to change your oil before you use your lawn mower again. Follow the standard safety procedures that are outlined and covered in your lawn mower’s manual.

If you are uncomfortable doing this yourself, arrange for a handy man to do the work. Or take it into a small engine mechanic to have the oil changed. Keep your snow blowers engine running in an optimum manner to minimize pollution.

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