SOUNDS, SIGHTS, SMELLS:

Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling achy? You make a cup of coffee and soldier on with your day. Mid-morning, the caffeine has worn off and your head is pounding. By afternoon, your head sweats, and your body shivers. You finally resign yourself to the thermometer – 102°.

Congrats! You have the flu. Now you have an hour-long commute home. If only you’d noticed that something was wrong before heading to the office…

Just like your body, your house is consistent and gives warning signs that something is amiss. Paying attention to these unusual signs can be the difference between a minor (affordable) repair and catastrophic (expensive) failure. Your house may be trying to tell you something!

Here are a few warning signs:

SOUNDS

Sizzling or hissing sounds from a hot water heater may indicate that the tank is leaking.

Modern hot water heaters are designed to not burst, but they may leak, leaving you without hot water or worse, a flooded floor.

Sizzling, buzzing, or popping sounds from switches, plugs and circuit breakers may indicate that the device is near failure.

Equipment rarely fails when convenient. Remember, “business hours” are only 1/3 of the day. After-hours and weekend service calls are typically more expensive.

More than an inconvenience, circuit breakers are critical safety devices. A failed circuit breaker may not function properly, which is a dangerous situation for your loved ones and your home.

The sound of running water may indicate a pipe leak or a failed fixture.

Older homes commonly utilize galvanized steel or copper pipes, which tend to telegraph sounds to fixtures (particularly metal). After ensuring that all fixtures are turned off, go around your house and place your ear on each fixture and listen for running water. This may indicate a leaking pipe.

Newer homes often utilize PEX or PVC water lines. These materials mute sound and it may be more difficult to hear a leak.

Modern dual flush toilets are prone to sticking and will continue to refill until the flush valve is properly reset.

Drip, drip, drip goes the…. well, it depends.

Dripping sounds in the ceiling may be present during and after rain or snow melt and may indicate a leak in the roof system.

Many newer homes have water lines in the attic. If this is the case for your house, address immediately. That drip may become a burst without warning!

Dripping sounds in the wall are typically slow leaks in water or drain lines.

Scratching in the walls

Soft and consistent scratching sounds may indicate the presence of insects, like termites or bees (not our worker bees though, they’re well trained).

Louder and more sporadic sounds may indicate the presence of rodents or other undesirable creatures.

Be cautious when using rat poison in attics. After ingesting the poison, a rat may seek water and can easily chew through copper, PEX or PVC water lines.

SIGHTS

Discoloration of ceilings and walls may indicate a water leak.

Dampness around a hot water heater may indicate a leaking tank.

Drips from pipes on the exterior of your home may indicate a clogged condensate drain from your air conditioner OR may indicate excessive pressure in your hot water heater.

The following pictures illustrate drain pipes in two separate locations:

This picture shows a small piece (2-3”) of PVC pipe that protrudes from the soffit and is a drain for equipment located in the attic of this home.

This picture shows a similar drain at ground level. This drain happens to be a condensate drain from an air conditioner, but a similar style drain is also used on hot water heaters. The equipment may be located on the ground floor or in the attic.

 

SMELLS

Sewer or rotting garbage smells may be caused by a clogged vent pipe, clogged or leaking sewer pipe, or improper sewer installation.

Must or mildew smells may indicate excessive moisture, which can be caused by a variety of issues but typically all involve water penetration of the building envelope. Look for formation of mildew around baseboards, walls and ceilings.

A stale smell accompanied by hot air from ductwork when the air conditioner first turns on may indicate torn or leaking ductwork.

Follow the guidance provided by emergency services and your local utilities in responding to these warning signs. When in doubt, call 911.

Burning plastic smells may indicate an electrical issue.

Rotten egg smells may indicate natural gas.

Obviously, fire smells like…fire.

Give us a buzz today if you have observed these or any other warning signs.

As always, Beeline is here to help in any way we can!