4 Common Home Maintenance Problems, and What’s Causing Them

September 09, 2024

You know the old expression: “If these walls could talk.”? Of course, you do. But who says your walls can’t talk, along with your lights, furnace, windows, doors, and just about everything else inside your home.

You just have to know what to watch and listen for, and how to interpret the messages. You know, like flickering lights, strange noises in your basement, musty odors from your furnace – that kind of thing.

Just to show you exactly what we’re talking about, here are four common households “messages” indicating that all is not well. By understanding these messages, you’ll have a much clearer idea of how to respond.

1. Every heating season, there’s that first time you turn the thermostat over to the “heat” function to kick-start your furnace. Don’t be surprised or concerned if this year you’re greeted with a dusty or musty smell the first time you fire up the furnace. What should cause you concern, however, are electrical or chemical odors. If and when that happens, contact an HVAC professional right away, but only after turning off the furnace. The smell of gas makes a strong statement all its own: “Time to evacuate.” And that’s exactly what you and your family should do if you whiff that rotten egg smell associated with a gas leak. Then, from a safe location, call 911 and your gas company in quick succession.
2. Musty smells anywhere else in your home, including your basement or attic, could indicate a water leak with a moisture build-up that’s allowing mold and/or mildew to grow and possibly even flourish. This should prompt a call to a professional plumber for a thorough investigation of where the leak is coming from and how much if any, mold and mildew needs to be removed.
3. “Water hammer” is the noise you hear from a faucet right after turning it off. Typically it’s caused by an increase in water pressure. If the sound persists, once again you’ll want to contact your plumber to restore your home’s water pressure levels to normal before any damage occurs.
4. And then there are mysterious breezes that whistle and blow all around you, even when all doors and windows are shut. Actually, there’s nothing mysterious about that at all. It just means your weather stripping and/or caulking aren’t quite up to snuff and that unless you take proper corrective action, you could have a long, cold winter on your hands with higher-than-needed home heating costs.

For these and many other home maintenance warning signs, Conway Services is your “go to” team for professional diagnosis and prompt, reliable solutions. Contact us today for any home plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or drain cleaning need at all.