Our Homes Forgotten Heroes
Plumbing in our home. Buying a home in today’s housing market can potentially be one of the most expensive purchases of your life. Having said that, most us new home owners often get caught up in the lust for the aesthetics when looking at older homes. Freshly painted rooms, the beautifully renovated bathroom or kitchen, new shingles, a fancy deck in a perfectly sized fenced in back yard ; These are a real estate agents’ pot of gold. What we typically do not notice until something goes terribly wrong, is the age and general health of our gas hot water heaters and vital mechanical equipment in our homes that make our lives easier.
One instance could be, you are now a year into your new home, enjoying a shower, and all of a sudden you have no hot water. You take a glance downstairs and find a flooded basement caused by a burst hot water tank. Another instance could be that you Wake up freezing on a chilly winter morning only to find out that your furnace won’t turn on. These are situations we need to prepare for and work to prevent, as repair costs could be vast.
I know most of you will think “Hey, that’s what a home inspection is for.” While this statement holds true, in most cases, a home inspection will only let you know the equipment works at the time it was inspected and does not clearly give insight into the remaining lifespan, or even if you need some gas water heater repairs. For instance, most furnace manufacturers recommend replacing something as simple as the air filter once a month, to prevent congestion and allow for better airflow. With hot water tanks, manufacturers recommend flushing the tank at least once a year to remove some of the sediment build up. If this preventative maintenance is not preformed regularly, it can lead to shorter life spans of fundamental household equipment.
In addition to manufacturers’ recommendations, (which are designed to extend the lives of our ‘forgotten home heroes’); changing out old equipment with newer, more efficient technology, can mean large, long term savings. Especially when switching from electric to gas. New upgraded equipment often boasts high efficiency ratings. Thus, allowing our hard earned dollar to go even further.
Let’s be honest, most of us would not know a problem with either unit until a major, inconvenient issue slaps us in the face. There are tons of DIY home projects that we may be able to handle. However, when it comes to electrical, the plumbing in our home, or HVAC, a small job can quickly turn into a nightmare.
That’s why there are qualified professionals. While buying a home can be exciting, we must always remember to look past the beauty that meets the eye, and put more focus on the installed and forgotten equipment such as our that keeps us comfortable.
To discover more on the full range of services offered by our Ottawa-based John the Plumber, please call our offices today at 613-227-7465 or visit our business website at johntheplumber.ca
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