How to Assess Your Electric and Plumbing Needs

You can spot a lot of your home’s electric and plumbing needs on your own, without even having to call a professional for it. There are always telltale signs that homeowners can take cue from and conduct timely repairs and maintenance works.

Plumbing and electrical systems are the backbone of every home and business. Seasons tend to change rapidly and before you know it, summer has already set in and your ac unit might not be ready. In such a case, what happens? You have to suffer the sweltering heat until the ac repairing Broward County unit can come to your rescue.

Life can come to a complete standstill in case a unit malfunctions or breaks down. By assessing your electric and plumbing needs in time, you’d be able to prevent major problems quite proactively.

Table of Contents

Assessing Plumbing Needs

Odd Coloration

When your tap tends to run odd colored or foul smelling water out of it, you can easily assess that your home needs some plumbing work. When your system is suffering from iron buildup, air and sulfur inside then it will turn rusty.

The first sign of the problem is red, yellow or brown colored water flowing out of your tap. In case of green, blue water, there is oxidizing in your copper pipe.

Knocking Sounds

If you want to assess the soundness of your pipes, listen for knocking sounds. If there are none, then your pipes are in good shape. However, if you hear knocking sounds, it could be indicative of loosened support straps, pressure issues and more.

Delayed Draining

Do your tubs, sinks etc. take too much time to drain? There could be a clog somewhere in the pipe. If DIY remedies don’t fix the clog, then you must call in the experts to fix the problem. There could be a bigger problem inside your plumbing system, asking for attention.

Also noticing water pooling in parts of your home is an accurate assessment of a plumbing repair work in order. Simple vigilance is the best assessment of all.

Low Pressure

If water does not flow powerfully out of your taps, like it should, you must note that a plumbing problem may be causing it. Blocked pipes, leaking pipes and water heater and even showerhead clogging can be causing low water pressure.

High Water Bills

If the numbers keep mounting with time on your water bills while your consumption amount hasn’t increased, you can assess there’s a problem somewhere. There could be leaks that you don’t know of in your plumbing system etc.

Assessing Electric Needs

For assessing your electric needs, a simple walk-through around your home can help you spot a lot of electrical problems. Here is what you need to look for:

Ventilation

If your home burns fuel for heating purposes, then you must ensure that there is sufficient air supply for your appliance. In case you spot any soot or burn marks around the vent collar or your appliance’s burner, then it is highly indicative of an existing electrical problem.

You can also look for smoke signs in your utility room after switching on the appliance. Also look for signs of poor draft. In case you find of these, you can figure that your utility system needs some help.

Air Leaks

For assessing your electric needs, you must try caulking holes in your wiring, electric outlets, pipes and faucets. Also looking for holes and cracks in the siding, foundation and mortar will help you find air leaks.

Conducting a walk-through assessment of your home will help you identify air leaks that commonly occur in gaps. You will find these more commonly in places such as the junctures in ceilings and walls. In fact, air leaks exist not only indoors but often outdoors as well.

Hence, look for air leaks in certain areas of your outdoor space, such as the junction between your home and the neighbors etc. will help. Other places where you must look for leaks include electrical outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures.

Final Thoughts

Electric and plumbing needs are ever existent in every home. The benefit of conducting self checks regularly is that it helps homeowners identify and fix potential problems in time. Failing to assess your home’s electric and plumbing needs could result in major breakdowns and malfunctioning units. Those would not only be a major convenience and disrupt your daily life but also be costly in the long term.