Keith B.
02/07/2019 12:00:00 SA
Professional Plumbing came out to my house about one week ago (January 31, 2019) to look into an issue I had with a burning smell coming out of my HVAC closet. Beto came in and used his camera to look at the exhaust pipe connected to my hot water heater (See photo). After seeing that there were no obstructions in the pipe, Beto went up to my roof to check the cap on the exhaust pipe. Beto discovered that the original exhaust cap was sitting directly on top of the exhaust pipe, thus preventing the water heater exhaust gases from fully escaping into the air outside my house. The exhaust gases were most likely what I had been smelling for some time. An original photo of the exhaust cap showed me that it was part of the original installation when I bought the house from Desert View Homes. Deadly exhaust gases have most likely been leaking into my house for quite some time, and may explain the grogginess and headaches that I have experienced over the years. Over the past week, I have noticed a difference when I wake up in the mornings, in that I am not feeling as groggy and lethargic. Therefore, in my opinion, the $489.99 that I paid to have this issue looked at was well worth it. My health and my life are too important to nickel-and-dime them. This entire situation has caused me to wake up and pay closer attention to maintenance details in my house. For example, just this morning while taking photos to provide this feedback, I noticed that water was dripping on top of the water heater. After closer inspection, I noticed that the water intake valve was leaking (See photos). When I touched the valve, it just sort of fell over. I don't know what happened to it, but I know I will have to get it repaired quickly. So, what are my lessons learned? I learned: 1) Hire only certified/highly reviewed professionals when it comes to repairing my house; 2) Do in-depth maintenance checks of my house, to include taking dated photos; 3) Don't skimp on repairs that deal with life-and-death issues, and 4) Keep detailed notes and timelines on all companies that come to my house to conduct repair services.