pittsburgh Archives - Clarity Home Inspection

Summer in Pittsburgh is marked by warm temperatures and occasionally severe weather, including thunderstorms and heavy rains. These conditions pose various risks to homes, from water damage due to storms to wear and tear from the heat. To ensure your home remains safe and sound throughout the season, here are some practical tips to prevent damage during the summer months.

1. Inspect and Repair Your Roof

Start with the part of your home that takes the brunt of weather conditions: the roof. Winter snow and spring rains can leave your roof in less-than-perfect condition. Check for missing, loose, or damaged shingles and replace them. Inspect the flashing around chimneys and vents to ensure there are no gaps for water to seep through.

2. Clean and Secure Gutters and Downspouts

Ensure that your gutters are free of debris such as leaves, twigs, and other blockages. Clogged gutters can cause water to overflow, leading to damage on your siding, foundation, or basement. Make sure the downspouts direct water at least three feet away from your foundation to prevent any potential water damage.

3. Check Your Home’s Foundation

Inspect your home’s foundation for cracks or signs of movement. These can become entry points for water during heavy rains. Seal any cracks with appropriate caulk or sealant. Additionally, ensure the soil around your foundation slopes away from your home to prevent water pooling, which can lead to moisture penetration into your basement or crawl spaces.

4. Maintain Your Air Conditioning System

Before the peak of summer heat, service your air conditioning unit. Change or clean the filters, check for any leaks, and ensure the system runs efficiently. This not only prevents breakdowns during hot weather but also helps in reducing your energy bills by improving energy efficiency.

5. Trim Trees and Shrubs

Overhanging branches can pose a risk during storms as they might break and fall, damaging your roof or windows. Trim back any branches that hang too close to your house. Additionally, keeping shrubs and trees well-trimmed enhances airflow and reduces moisture buildup around your home’s exterior, which can discourage mold and mildew growth.

6. Seal Windows and Doors

Check the seals around windows and doors. Any gaps can allow hot air in and cool air out, which significantly decreases your home’s energy efficiency. Sealing these gaps with weather stripping or caulk not only prevents this but also stops water from entering during a storm.

7. Prepare for Emergencies

Have an emergency preparedness plan in place. This should include checking that all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working, having a family emergency communication plan, and preparing an emergency kit with essential items like water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, and first aid supplies.

8. Consider Smart Home Investments

Invest in smart home technology such as water leak detectors or smart thermostats. These devices can help monitor your home and prevent major damage by alerting you to water leaks or allowing you to control your home’s temperature remotely, which can prevent overheating and related damages.

As always, if you want to ensure the best quality of your home then schedule a home inspection with us today!

The Absence of a Secondary Safety Switch

Secondary condensation drains are not always installed unfortunately! These drains are technically optional, as long as another means of shutting down the cooling system is present should the primary condensation drain become clogged. But all too often, especially on older residences, we see an air conditioning system that does not have any type of secondary drain.

Clogged Condensation Drains

Have you ever seen water dripping out of the pipe in the sticking out of the ceiling of your porch or exterior wall above a window? That is probably your secondary condensation drain, and if water is coming out of that pipe, it probably means that your primary condensation drain is clogged!

Cooling systems operate like big de-humidifiers, removing moisture from the air. This moisture has to go somewhere, so it collects on the evaporator coil and drains into a drip-pan, which is connected to a drain to the exterior. Periodically, this drain will get very clogged, because the cool, damp and dark space inside the pipe is a prime spot for gunk and algae to grow. The primary drain line can periodically maintained by pouring dilute bleach or white vinegar down the condensate drain, such as when you change your air-filters, but eventually you will likely need to use compressed air to physically blow out the line. When you don’t, the line gets blocked and condensation then goes to the secondary condensation drain.

Dirty Condensers

The condenser is the large, noisy, usually square shaped unit that exists outside. These systems contain a compressor that condenses the refrigerant and a large fan that blows air over the refrigerant lines to dissipate heat. These condensers are filled with aluminum radiator fins similar to a car’s radiator, and periodically these fins require cleaning. There are plenty of online tutorials about cleaning your own condensers as well as products that can be found affordably at your local hardware store, but you may consider contacting your local HVAC professional to provide a general cleaning and servicing of the system. Dirty condenser coils will reduce the lifespan of the equipment as well as reduce the energy efficiency of the equipment, so keep the coils clean!

Have more questions regarding what home inspectors look for? Feel free to contact your Crescent Township Area Home Inspector Pro today!

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Tips to Prevent Damages to Your Pittsburgh Area Home This Summer