Here’s something we hear a lot about as we help homeowners in the Hartford, CT area keep their properties in great condition.
There’s a certain subset of homeowners who like to do things themselves. There are others who would prefer to go directly to speed dial as soon as something happens with their home systems.
In our view, you can strike a happy balance – by remaining engaged and proactive about your home systems, you can decrease your chances of needing some types of repairs. At the same time, you can feel confident calling professionals for a wide range of problems that could be tricky to work on by yourself.
In general, HVAC and plumbing systems are among the more complex parts of your home’s design. It’s not a great idea to always try to tackle things yourself if you don’t have specific professional experience. In fact, in some cases, the pros can uncover easy fixes that will cost you far less than what you would think of on your own.
HVAC Systems
With heating and air conditioning, there are a number of things that are entirely appropriate for homeowners to do on their own.
At the top of the list is filter changes. These systems are set up so that you can change your own filters, and most good firms are proactive about recommending this. In fact, it’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of this. You should change your filters regularly. Some need to be changed every three months, and some need to be changed only once a year. You absolutely should know which one applies to your filters, how to change the filter, and how changing the filter impacts your air quality.
For other things like calibrating your outdoor unit, figuring out levels of refrigerant, and more, you’re better off contacting a professional firm that can give you real practical information, diagnosis, and repair.
Plumbing
Here’s another excellent example that goes into the nuts and bolts of home plumbing.
Every winter, we get hundreds of calls about frozen pipes. First, the pipes are exposed to extreme cold, whether it’s through gaps in insulation, unusual seasonal coldness, or other causes. Then, the pipes are under pressure, and sometimes they crack or burst.
So again, there’s a balance here. One of the best things for homeowners to do is to take those proactive steps to make sure that pipes don’t get below freezing. There are numerous ways to do this, from using space heaters to maintaining insulation to opening the tap a little bit to allow vulnerable pipes to trickle, which will keep the water from freezing in the pipe.
On the other hand, when pipes have already burst, in our view, that’s the time to call the professionals. DIY fixes might just lead to bigger problems if they’re not done properly
So to sum it up, homeowners can take responsibility for routine, simple, and straightforward maintenance and proactive protection of home systems. Then, when real trouble strikes, they can immediately call a good professional shop. We help Hartford area residents to keep their properties in good condition to protect their investment in local real estate.