Nanaimo Building Maintenance
Commercial Building Maintenance Nanaimo is home of many commercial buildings, such as condos, businesses, and apartments. Norms Plumbing and heating has 11 skilled tradesmen ready to save the day. We have lots of experience maintaining commercial buildings, so you won’t be let down. You may or may not be maintaining your building properly, so […]
Plumbing Details
There are many plumbers in Nanaimo that can install a water heater, but do they do it correctly, and safely? This Blog will talk about water heater safety and common mistakes.
Yesterday I went to replace a standard water heater. When I was cutting it out, I noticed that the Temperature and Pressure relief valve (T&P) was jammed up against a 2×4. To the untrained, not a big deal. but in reality, it’s a huge deal.
The T&P is a safety device responsible for relieving excess pressure (Over 150psi). It’s also discharges steam/water when the temperature reaches over 210 degrees. The basic reasoning for this is to keep the tank within a safe limit. Without this device, your tank a could implode or explode, causing great damage. When I installed the new tank I made sure to install it so the T&P valve could open easily if needed.
Another thing I noticed was that the previous installer had the tank spun around so the drain at the bottom was near the back where it was not accessible. To the homeowner, it’s no big issue. But to the next installer, your setting them up for a challenge. I couldn’t get a hose on it to be able to drain the tank, luckily the piping was PEX, o i was able to spin it around. These little details might not mean much on their own, but together they separate the pros from the beginners.
Along with making sure the drain valve is accessible, is making sure the electrical elements or gas valve is accessible. Sometimes these parts fail and only they need to be replaced. If they’re easy to access, then the serviceman doesn’t have to drain the whole tank and spin it around to service the tank, which saves time and money for the homeowner.
These small details come with experience, and Norms plumbing and heating has that experience. We have been operating for 50 years right here in Nanaimo, and you don’t get there without the small details. If you ever need a new water heater, you can count on us. And remember, every water heater we install we donate directly to the Nanaimo Ladysmith School Foundation, which provides lunches for children in need.
To read more about our Tanks for lunch program, visit: https://www.normsmobile.ca/about/community-involvement/
Home Plumbing and HVAC Inspection
The real estate marketing is still strong, and with interest rates dropping down to 1.99%, houses are going to be selling fast this summer. A house is an investment, you’re putting your hard earned money into a home for you and your family; the worst thing to happen is you find out your home is a money pit. We always recommend a home plumbing and hvac inspection done by a certified plumber & gas-fitter to ensure its proper functionality.
Plumbing Inspection
There are a few things that a general home inspector might not pick up on when they do their building inspection. Your hot water tank is the first thing we would look at. We want to know the date of it, the condition, and whether or not upgrading to a high efficiency tank is best for your situation. It could be possible your tank is in fact leaking or very close to it.
Next we want to look at the type of pipe your plumbing has. Poly-B piping is the worst to have as it is very common for leaking. It is also difficult or expensive to get insurance if your home has this type of piping. If your home does have Poly-B, we can give you a rough estimate to change it out for new piping.
Your main water shut off valve is very important, not only to know where it is, but to know if it works. If you have an emergency leak in your house, knowing where that valve is and being able to turn in off can save you thousands of dollars in potential restoration costs.
HVAC Inspection
Having your homes’ HVAC system inspected is a quick process that if ignored, can leave you cold and stuck with a non working heat source. When we conduct an inspection on your hvac system, we will check what heat source you have. You may have an oil furnace, electric furnace, gas furnace, heat pump, or electric baseboards.
No matter what source of heat you have, we need to make sure it’s in good working order, and that it isn’t ready to break. Furnaces have many working parts and processes. If a furnace has been neglected or is very old, it’s not only more likely to have issues, but its not going to be an efficient heat source compared to modern furnaces.
Electric baseboards & furnaces are something to note as well. Electric baseboards are a very inefficient way to heat your home, especially if your home has natural gas available. Even if it doesn’t, there are other products to heat and cool your home, such as a ductless heat pump. If natural gas is available to your home, we can evaluate whether or not upgrading is right for you and your family.
If you have a Heat pump in your potential home, we can have our licensed HVAC technician inspect it to again ensure it is working properly and efficiently. Or, we could look at potentially adding an Air conditioner to your home for efficient cooling in the summer.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we hope you now consider having Norms Plumbing and Heating do a home plumbing and hvac inspection on your potential new home. Hopefully you learned more about what to look for when viewing a home, and know which questions to ask your real estate agent, too.
