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Things Every Homeowner Should Know (But Most Don't)
Everyone in the home
repair industry sees examples of homeowner
neglect that cost money, increase wear and
tear on expensive mechanical systems, and
even threaten life and limb. It always
makes us shake our heads, knowing that
with just a little bit of maintenance and
moxie, homeowners can stretch their
budgets, improve equipment performance and
significantly reduce most household
hazards.
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Household water pressure
typically starts out at 160 pounds per
square inch. That's enough to cause weak
piping joints to burst and to create a
noisy condition known as water hammer when
things aren't right with the plumbing
system.
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Never, ever store
flammables in the vicinity of a furnace,
boiler or water heater, especially one
with a standing pilot light. This is easy
to overlook, because basements and utility
rooms are by definition storage areas.
Also, some substances prone to combustion
aren't obvious fire hazards such as
swimming pool chemicals or many household
cleaners. To be on the safe side, if it's
a substance you wouldn't ingest, keep it
away from combustion appliances.
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Furnace filters ideally
ought to be changed four times a year, and
certainly at least twice a year. Yet,
heating technicians routinely encounter
furnaces where the filters haven't been
changed in years.
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Just one working smoke
alarm can reduce your chances of dying in
a home fire by almost 50%. Yet,
one-quarter to one-third of smoke alarms
don't work due to dead or missing
batteries. Tip: get in the habit of
changing all alarm batteries once a year
on your birthday or some other memorable
date you won't forget.
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Studies have shown that
duct leaks account for as much as
one-third of residential heating and
cooling consumption. Yet, almost nobody
bothers to check for leaks, not even most
heating technicians.
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It takes only 1/2 second
to scald someone in 150°F water, 1 second
in 140°F water, and 4 minutes in 120°F
water, according to the Gas Appliance
Manufacturers Association. Modern water
heaters are factory-set at 120°F, but many
older models deliver much higher
temperature water.
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The most common household
injuries occur from falls, which are
blamed for more than 8,000 U.S. deaths a
year. Bathtub and shower stall slips
account for more than 160,000 documented
injuries each year, and many more that go
unreported. Non-slip bath mats and grab
bars are important safety measures for any
house.
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One of the simplest ways
of extending the life of your
water heater is periodic replacement
of sacrificial anode rods. These are made
of magnesium or aluminum and are intended
to corrode, so that the water heater tank
doesn't. The anode rod starts out about
3/4-inch in diameter, but within three
years is typically reduced to 1/4 inch or
less. Next time you have a
plumbing service technician to your
home, ask them to check out your water
heater anode rods.
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More and more homes have
carbon monoxide detectors, which is good.
Many of them have them installed in the
vicinity of CO-emitting appliances, which
is bad. You want them installed near
bedrooms. The biggest risk from CO occurs
when people are sleeping.
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Ground-fault circuit
interrupters are simple, inexpensive
devices that can be obtained at any
hardware store. They ought to be installed
in bathroom outlets and any other outlets
near water.
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Corrosive drain cleaners, such as
those sold on supermarket shelves,
frequently cause injury to plumbers or
homeowners when they open up pipes or sink
traps to do repairs. Non-corrosive drain
cleaners are much better choices. Two of
the best, Bio-Clean & Super Citrus, are
sold exclusively through plumbing
contractors.
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Soldering is not the most
difficult task in the world, but it is not
quite as easy as it looks. Professional
plumbers routinely end up repairing leaks
caused by do-it-yourself solderers. A
common problem is using too much or too
little flux.
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Any water heater without a
working temperature and pressure relief
valve is a time bomb waiting to explode.
Plumbing and heating technicians encounter
too many of these bombs.
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An automatic setback
thermostat is one of the best investments
any homeowner can make. These devices can
be programmed to modulate your household
temperature for maximum comfort when
occupants are present, but conserve energy
when everyone is away at school and/or
work.
Proprietary Information,
Kevin Shaw Plumbing, Inc & Nexstar
Network, © 2005
If you are looking for a
plumbing contractor in the San Gabriel Valley, please call us
today at 626-359-1864 or complete our
online service request form.
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