What is THAT?

Common things found in and around homes that you may not recognize or know why its there.

Crawl space- crawl space is another name for a basement you typically cant stand up in.  The surface can be concrete or soil.  The crawl space gives you access to pipes, electric and more.  A crawl space can be used for additional storage if you have a dry crawl space.  Crawl spaces are typical in geographic areas that have damp soil where basements might otherwise flood. 

Water softener-typically found in finished basements, storage closets, or garages. Water softeners use sodium to help reduce minerals, magnesium ion and calcium in hard water.  Hard water can build up on pipes and reduce water flow. Softeners can be pricey

 

Sump pump- sump pumps are found in basements. They are used to collect accumulating water and remove with a pump that leads outside the home away from the house.  You want to make sure you have a battery back up to insure the sump pump will function properly.

 

Radon fan- A radon fan is used to reduce/remove radon, typically found in basements.  A radon fan can be tied into the sump pump.  The fan is on the outside of the house connected with plastic piping, as seen below.

Roof vent- roof vent are used to create air flow in the attic, with out air flow problems could arise in the attic, they need to breathe.

Furnace humidifier-  Humidifiers added to the furnace help put moisture in every room of your home.  This can help with allergies.

Termite damage- Termites can create extensive damage to homes made of wood.  It is a good idea to have termite inspections regularly to insure they don't take over your home.  They can be easily treated with extermination.

GFCI- AKA Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter- help prevent electric shock by breaking the current when there is a difference in the hot and neutral wires. When a GFCI senses an issue it shuts off and then has to be reset.  GFCI's are typically near water in bathrooms and kitchens for safety.

Attic fan- Attic fans are used to bring in fresh air and remove heat from the attic to help regulate the heat level

Central vacuum- Central vacuums have outlets in the wall, you plug in the vacuum hose to the wall outlet to conveniently vacuum.  These outlets are typically found in every room of the home or hallways.  There are also under kitchen counters.  To use the vacuum you tap a button with your foot to activate and sweep in the dust and dirt.  They come in handy!

Return air vent- aka a cold air return. The vent grabs the cool air and returns to the furnace, this helps provide proper air circulation. The vents also help to prevent pressure to reduce heath issues.

Tankless water heater-a small unit that attaches to a wall, highly powered water heater that continuously and instantly heats water to the entire house.