When all the systems in your home are running smoothly, it’s easy to forget about frequent maintenance and up keep. Problems can sneak up on you! This is why keeping an eye on your water pipes, heating unit and gas line is crucial. Interestingly enough, some of the same kinds of problems can occur, like leaks for example, in your heating and cooling system, water pipes as well as gas pipes.
Paying no heed to your plumbing, heating, air-conditioning or gas lines can blow even a small maintenance issue out of proportion. Before it’s too late and you have to replace your entire system or do a very costly repair, keep an eye on out for these signs and symptoms that mean trouble.
Leaks
Plumbing: Wet stains on the walls or wet rings on the ceiling are caused by cracks or leaks in the plumbing. Don’t ignore this sign, or the structural integrity of your home or office building can suffer a lot of damage requiring major costly repair. Nip these leaking nips in the bud; contact a plumber immediately.
HVAC: When an air conditioner is running, condensation forms inside the unit. This excess moisture is drained away by the drain tube. If this tube breaks or becomes clogged, a pool of water will begin to accumulate near your unit. This type of problem is more likely to happen when humidity levels are high. Water leaks or ice forming right on your system are also warning signs. Call a professional for repairs.
Does your HVAC system do a good job at heating but just blows out normal air while cooling? This might indicate a refrigerant leak. A leak can occur at the condenser or the compressor. A running air conditioning system is not doing you any good if it’s low on Freon. Your best bet is to call a professional repair person who will fix the leak and charge the unit with exactly the correct amount of refrigerant.
Gas Line: This can’t be stressed enough: your gas pipes need to be laid perfectly. Any glitch in the system will cause a gas leak. Gas poisoning or explosions are inevitable in such a case. Being nonchalant about your gas fitting poses a fatal risk to you and those around you.
Unusual Odours
HVAC: Your HVAC system should not smell. A foul, electrical smell is a sign that the wire installation is burning out or the wire insulation is overheating. A musty odour means that there is biological growth, most probably mold, inside the unit or the ducts. Any strange smell from your heating system necessitates a thorough check up.
Gas Line: Can you smell gas in the air? This is definitely a sign of a leak in your gas line. While both natural gas and propane are odourless, a very foul-smelling odorant called ethyl mercaptan is added to make gas leaks easier to detect. If you can smell something rank throughout your home or office, immediately check your gas line. Better yet, contact a professional who will have the know-how to deal with this situation.
Unusual Noises
Plumbing: The only normal sound that a plumbing system should make is water flowing and draining. Whistling, banging, squealing sounds from water lines are not only annoying, but also signify problems.
HVAC: Every heating and cooling system makes a certain amount of noise while functioning. But if your system is unusually louder or is making strange noise like grating, clanging or whistling, it means there is something wrong with it.
Gas Line: Unusual sounds coming from your gas line are also a cause for concern. If you can hear whistling or sucking noises near your pipes, chances are there is a crack or a leak.
Weird sounds from your mechanical systems can be the result of something as trivial as a loose screw or a disconnected part, or it may be an indication of a bigger issue. Arrange for maintenance checks and repairs as soon as possible.
Faulty Thermostat
HVAC: At times, the AC unit or furnace may be fine but the thermostat may have a glitch. If you feel that the temperature is higher or lower than the one set on the thermostat, you might have to check it for faults.
Dusty Household
HVAC: Filtering out harmful air and dust particles from your space is one of the functions of your HVAC system. However, if you begin to notice increased dust on objects and surfaces, there might be a leak in the duct work. Worse, this could also be an indication that your entire system is failing. Call a professional to check which repairs are required.
Higher Utility Bills
If there is a sudden spike in your monthly energy bills, your systems might be in need of repairs.
- Leaks in your water pipes will cause a lot of water wastage and spike up your bill.
- The evaporator and condenser coils in your AC unit may need cleaning and maintenance, or the refrigerant may be leaking.
- Gas leaks are simply bad news. If they do not pose fatal risk to you, they make your utility bill go through the roof.
If not taken care of, these problems will keep increasing your utility costs and reduce the life of the systems, not to mention waste a lot of resources. Ideally, you should have a serviceman inspect all your mechanical systems – plumbing, heating and cooling system and gas line – once every year for any faults. If there are any problems, it’s better to call a professional serviceman to make the necessary repairs rather than attempting them yourself.
HVAC Contractors in Edmonton have licensed journeymen working 24/7 to give you the best HVAC, plumbing and gas-fitting services, plus they’ve passed RenovationFind‘s stringent screening process to ensure quality work, customer service and satisfaction. Here is a list of the best plumbers in Edmonton.
