Are You Overlooking These Seemingly Small Problems?
The last person most people want to see in their driveway tends to be a plumber; however, there are some problems that can occur out of sight that you want to make sure you are keeping an eye out for. Catching a problem early on and performing preventative maintenace, in addition to saving you money, can also keep your family and home safer.
LEAKS
Have you ever thought that you heard water running when you are positive that there shouldn't be any water flowing in the house? Have you felt a warm spot from underneath your flooring? Just because there is no water appearing does not necessarily mean you do not have a leak. Over time, for many reasons, the pipes in your house can spring a small pinhole leak and begin to leak into your house. If that pinhole leak occurs under the concrete slab your house on, that is what is known as a slab leak. If you think you have a leak, we have the tools to locate that leak and repair it with minimal drywall damage and without touching your flooring.
AIR FILTERS
Dirty air filters are a very common problem when it comes to under-performing heating or air conditioning systems. If your filter is not replaced or cleaned regularly, dirt and other contaminants build up in it and cause the system to have to perform that much harder to acheive the same desired temperature. This causes the unit to wear down quicker and can mean a shorter life-span. In addtion to shorter lives, those dirty filters are causing your unit to circulate dirty air and contaminants through your house which can leak to more health risks to you and your family. Make sure you or your HVAC technician are inspecting your air filters on a regular basis.
DRYER VENTS
Along with HVAC air filters, dryer vents need to be checked and maintained regularly to ensure top-level performance and to guarantee safety as well. Over time, dryer vents build up residue on the inside and can diminsh the efficiency of your dryer. Along with reduced efficiency, clogged vents will cause a back up of exhaust into your home which can lead to higher risks of starting a fire. For these reasons and more, make sure you are checking your vents regularly.
HIGH WATER PRESSURE
Your house more than likely has what is called a water pressure regulator valve on the outside of it to maintain a safe level of water pressure to your home. If that valve starts to get too old or malfunctions, you could have a rise in water pressure, most likely noticed in your sinks or showers. If this occurs, it should be addressed immediately because too high of water pressure can lead to pipes bursting at connections, resulting in a flooding of your home. If you've noticed a rise it water pressure, make sure to have a plumber check it immediately.
WASHING MACHINE HOSES
If you have a washing machine in your home, you most likely have the standard rubber water supply lines. If your water lines are made of rubber, we strongly recommend that you trade those out for stainless steel, braided hoses. As with any other water supplied device, those connections to the hoses are constantly receiving water pressure, and over time those rubber hoses start to wear down and lose strength. If it does lose too much strength, those hoses can burst and with the amount of water that is supplied to your washing machine can result in horrible water damage. So check out your hoses today and if you have rubber water hoses, we strongly urge you to change them to stainless steel!
If you would like for a plumber or HVAC technician to look at any of these or other issues, or just have a question, please do not hesitate to contact us today!
