Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I just came in from blowing my drive and I’m finding that my relatively new Ariens 11528LE (bought last year) seems to be struggling to blow snow. As soon as even a minimal load is place on it the unit begins to ‘chirp” or “squeal” and at the same time the volume of the snow that gets thrown is reduced substantially. Could it be a belt slipping?

I read other posts here that suggest that ice can get behind the impeller. That’s not the case here as the unit is stored indoors. Anyone have any insights?

Thanks in advance.

Chuck