The modern American house is a marvel to live in, so long as all of its utilities and systems are all working. The windows should not be drafty, the insulation should be up to date, and the roof should not leak. Sometimes, the utilities might become worn out with age, break due to trauma or weather extremes, or get clogged or dirty from all kinds of sources. When this happens, it is time to call a plumber to fix problems with the pipes or drains, or when the HVAC system is damaged or dirty, an experienced electrician can be called over to install a new HVAC unit or replace pieces of the current one. An experienced electrician can also help when the home’s wires short circuit or if there is a problem with the breaker system, and attempting these repairs without an experienced electrician can be risky. A home’s heating and air conditioning is best left to an experienced electrician and other repair crews.
Problems in the Home
What can go wrong with a home’s plumbing or its heating and air conditioning? A number of issues can crop up, and they can in fact cost the homeowner money as well as be annoying or inconvenient in everyday life. Pipes can leak not just water, but money: around 10% of homes today have leaks that waste about 90 gallons of water every day, and by contrast, fixing easily-repaired leaks can save a homeowner around 10% on their water bills. But as long as a home leaks water, that is extra water that the home must bring in to run its utilities, and this can add up pretty fast, more so than many homeowners may realize. Old, water-inefficient washing machines, shower heads, and toilets also crank up the water bill more than they should, even if they are not actually leaking. Replacing these with newer models is a good idea.
The heating and air conditioning unit can also suffer money-wasting leaks, such as when the air ducts have tears or holes in them, often the result of rust, age, or squirrels scampering around inside (squirrels also build nests that block airflow in these ducts, another serious issue). Drafty windows or doors will leak warm air in winter or cool air in summer, which could also force the HVAC unit to work overtime. What is more, simple dirt that accumulates over time can be a problem, since dirty blower fans deep in the system, or grime-clogged air ducts or pollen choking the outdoor unit also block air flow and strain the system, which wastes electricity the entire time. And a very old HVAC system is not built to modern energy efficient standards anyway, so it is wasteful even if in good condition. If a building’s heating and air conditioning is 15 years old or more, it may be time to hire an experienced electrician, or even a whole crew, to overhaul the HVAC system.
Fixes
When a contractor repair professional is brought into the home, that professional may easily fix the problem and inform the homeowner on the cause as well as ways to prevent it in the future. Rusted or ruptured pipes will be fixed or replaced, and if need be, a new water heater may be installed (old ones will have a lot of sediment caked in their tanks). If a home’s toilets or shower heads or sinks are old, they can be replaced with water-efficient, modern models that fit the “go green” initiative, and this cuts down on the water bill, too. Crews may repair damage to a heating and cooling unit such as replacing damaged ducts and removing squirrel nests, as well as cleaning out the outdoor unit or replacing the blower fans. In the case of a very old system, the entire thing will be replaced with a new setup that meets modern energy efficiency standards, saving the building’s owner a lot of money in the long run. This makes it a good investment alongside the feeling of high quality air conditioning. A newer HVAC system, unlike an old system, will also come with computerized, programmable schedules and sensors to maximize efficiency, especially in summer and winter.
