When you hear a rattle in your car engine, do you turn up the radio or do you fix it? Then why are you “turning up” the radio when you’re house is trying to rattle?
HouseLogic recently ran a helpful article on how your house is trying to talk to you and what it might meant. Here’s a recap…
- Flickering Lights – Could be dangerous, loose electrical connections that can cause power to jump over the gaps. Pros call this “arcing,” which can cause fires. If, however, lights dim when the refrigerator or another appliance turns on, the circuit might be overloaded.
- Peeling Exterior Paint – Moisture is probably getting underneath the paint. Leaky gutters or a steamy bathroom on the other side of the affected area are often the culprit.
- Peeling Exterior Paint – Moisture is probably getting underneath the paint. Leaky gutters or a steamy bathroom on the other side of the affected area are often the culprit.
- Loud Knocking – If the knocking occurs when you turn off water, you have what’s known as “water hammer” — when fast-moving water comes to a sudden stop and there’s no air chamber (usually a short pipe) to cushion the shock wave. If knocking occurs when your furnace switches on or off, metal ducts are expanding or contracting as temperature changes.
- A Toilet Tank That Refills All on Its Own – Worn interior parts may be causing water to trickle through the toilet constantly, causing the water level in the tank to lower and trigger the refill mechanism. A leaky toilet potentially wastes 1,500 gallons a month (not to mention the wasted $$$!).
- Creaks and Growns – All houses creak and groan a little as parts expand and contract with temperature fluctuations. Changes in levels of humidity can be the cause, too.
- Musty Odors – Mildew is the root of all that’s musty. It’s a yucky, not-good-for-you fungus. Basements are favorite haunts for this nasty life form. But basically, any place that is humid enough to allow condensation to form on cold surfaces can grow mildew and assault your senses.
- Rotten-Egg Smell When You Run Water – A type of bacteria that produces hydrogen sulfide gas (the scientific name for rotten-egg smell). It could be in your water heater or in your drain.
- Strange-Tasting Tap Water – If the water tastes metallic, iron, or copper may be leaching from pipes. If you taste chlorine, your water supplier may have overdosed on disinfectant, or a correct level could be interacting with organic stuff (like that bacteria mentioned earlier) within your plumbing system.
- Trembling Floors – If all the bottles on your newly set-up bar jiggle and shimmy each time you walk by, or if your floor feels like it gives under your weight, the floor joists might not be sturdy enough. That’s often caused when homeowners remove walls during remodeling.
Visit HouseLogic for the cures!