When facing a problem in your professional or personal life, you can rest assured that there’s a hack for that issue. However, there are some problems that should only be tackled by trained experts, and your home’s plumbing and HVAC systems are just a couple of those areas that should be off-limits to your DIY experiments. Here are some home improvement projects that could go horribly wrong for the ill-equipped handyman.
1. FIXING BROKEN WATER LINES
You’ve confirmed your suspicions that the water leak in your kitchen is the result of a broken pipe. As you take inventory of your tools and head for the hardware store, you promise your spouse that your DIY fix won’t involve duct tape. While repairing a broken pipe seems straight forward, it’s a job that’s best left to a licensed plumber. If you install a new pipe or its associated fittings incorrectly, the pipe could burst and cause significant water damage to your home. Even if your DIY pipe doesn’t completely burst, small leaks lead to excess moisture in your home. This moisture feeds mold that can cause respiratory problems for you and your family.
2. REPAIRING OR REPLACING WATER HEATERS
Water heaters involve mechanical components, lots of water, and a power source. This is a bad combination for ambitious weekend warriors who want to save a little money on a water heater repair job. Gas water heaters that are repaired incorrectly are known to explode and do major damage to your home from its walls to its foundation. Also, excess pressure can ruin an expensive replacement water heater if you don’t hook up its supply lines and drainage outlets properly.
3. REFITTING FURNACE GAS CONNECTIONS
You’ve learned a lot from talking with your HVAC technician during routine maintenance appointments. If you’re thinking of skipping your HVAC’s periodic maintenance session and its bill, think again. Tampering with gas connections on your furnace is a way to create gas pressure build-up in your heating unit, which is a leading cause of HVAC-related house fires.
4. FIXING A CRACKED FURNACE HEAT EXCHANGER
While many professional HVAC technicians recommend replacing cracked heat exchangers, there are plenty of video tutorials on the internet that instruct handy homeowners how to repair this costly HVAC component. If your repair is done improperly, the damaged heat exchanger can cause carbon monoxide gas to permeate your home. The gas is deadly when inhaled, and it’s flammable.
5. REPLACING YOUR HVAC SYSTEM
Your current HVAC system is broken again. It’s older than 25 years, and you need a newer model. Installing a new HVAC system seems simple; all you need is a good brand and a set of installation instructions from the manufacturer. However, you’ve failed to realize how much planning a licensed HVAC technician does before he or she chooses a unit for a specific home. If you pick a heating and cooling system that’s improperly sized for your space, geographic location, and household heating and cooling needs, your home may never reach optimal comfort levels for temperature and humidity. While an undersized HVAC system can lead to warm and cold spots in your home, an oversized HVAC system will work inefficiently and possibly wear out faster.
BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to maintaining your home’s plumbing and HVAC systems, you can cause major damage to yourself, your household budget, and your home by taking matters into your own hands. When you hire expert plumbers like the ones at Hagerstown Heating & Cooling, you’ll get the peace of mind that your plumbing and HVAC issues have been diagnosed correctly and fixed accurately. The company’s team of top-notch technicians has served communities in and around Washington County, Maryland for over two decades. When you’re ready to create the comfortable home that your family deserves, give the licensed plumbers at Hagerstown Heating & Cooling a call (240) 469-4866.
