[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It is around the house. Make sure you understand your local building code. And you know, unfortunately, um, every state is different and some areas the state doesn't run the building codes, the city does. So you could be, you could have one building code on one side of the street and literally another building code on the other side of the street.

[00:00:23] Eric Goranson: So in my area it is a, um, mostly a state building code, even though like the city of Portland has the ability to do. Of additional ones on top of it. But generally speaking in, uh, the states around me at least, uh, it is a state issue, uh, the East and uh, the Northeast here in the United States. Uh, definitely, uh, a state or a local issue depending on what they are.

[00:00:45] Eric Goranson: And when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know that we've got you covered. This is around the house. Welcome to the Round the House. Show your news source. For everything [00:01:00] about your home every single week. Thanks for joining us today. Well, I wanted to talk today about my, in this hour at least, my top 10 electrical and plumbing mistakes that homeowners make.

[00:01:11] Eric Goranson: You know, the common ones to maybe see if we can help you avoid some of those, whether or not you're the, the D Iyer or even the staff that you're hiring professionals. This list is one of those things that if we can help you, uh, well make a better project that's more successful, then that's a win for everybody.

[00:01:30] Eric Goranson: Today's show is sponsored by Root Quencher and root quencher.com. If you've got landscaping and sprinklers and things like that, you're trying to keep those trees and bushes and shrubs, water, they, they put the water right down the roots and that saves you money 'cause you don't have to use so much.

[00:01:44] Eric Goranson: Water. Root quencher.com. Well, today I wanted to just jump right in, uh, with our list. But first, if you have any questions on this stuff, how do you find us over at around the house online.com, and we can help you right [00:02:00] there. Well, let's talk about it. Number one on my list, and this isn't a particular order, so this isn't like, well, well, we'll call it number 10.

[00:02:08] Eric Goranson: Actually, we'll count down here, even though that they're not in that kind of order. But number 10. Electrical work. What's some of the biggest problems? Not using junction boxes correctly in electrical, you know, those buried connections in the wall where you go, oh man, I don't wanna have to see that. I don't wanna have to see where that plate is in the wall because I had a fixture there and I don't wanna rip the whole wall open to put new wire in to make it longer where people bury that junction box.

[00:02:37] Eric Goranson: And you know, there's ways to do this, to do it correctly. So maybe it's not so obvious, but you can still do it. Like if it's in a wall cavity, let's say that it's in the living room and you moved a wall sconce, you know, so it was better served well, what's on the backside of the wall? Sometimes if it's like a two by four wall, you can flop that box around and maybe it's a [00:03:00] closet, maybe it's a a, uh, you know, bedroom wall where it's less obtrusive.

[00:03:05] Eric Goranson: Maybe you can put that on the other side where you put the junction box hole on the outside. The other side of the wall. So maybe there's ways to move around and get that knocked out. And so that's one of the things there. Um, I tell you what, I see this often in old homes and attics. Somebody went up, took the old knob and tube wiring out, connected in regular aromas and off they went.

[00:03:30] Eric Goranson: And these are things that, you know, are issues like that. And, uh, as well, let's, let's, let's hit the nail on the head here as well. Make sure you got covers on those boxes. You know you got it in the box, in the attic. Those covers are there to contain that and to protect that. So having a junction box without a cover, it's still like not having a junction box.

[00:03:53] Eric Goranson: You wanna make sure that you've got that. I mean, it'll control the wires better, but if you have some kind of arcing or sparks, you want that somewhat [00:04:00] contained there, and that's the key. So you don't have a fire down the road. So making sure that, uh, those junction boxes are done correctly. And make sure that you've got like the right connectors and stuff.

[00:04:10] Eric Goranson: If it's a metal box, do you have it just going through there, you know, without any of the crimp connections or any of those kind of things where it actually protects the wire going through there. Those are all things that's supposed to protect the wire. Hold the wire in there so you don't get chafing or cause short.

[00:04:26] Eric Goranson: So that's the first one. The next one here is one that I always talk about, but it's one that is a important one, and this is homeowners using shark bite or push to connect fittings to do permanent plumbing fixes. Now there are things that you can do. With shark bites, like if you're working at a bathroom, you're gonna be doing some work and need to plug off a line.

[00:04:49] Eric Goranson: Shark bites are great for that. Or push to connect fittings. I'm gonna use shark bites like Kleenex and bathroom tissue, facial tissue. That's kind of that. But really this is what it is. So what [00:05:00] I want you to do is make sure that you don't use those fittings now, you know I hear a lot of people, oh, if they sell 'em and they have a warranty, yeah.

[00:05:09] Eric Goranson: But I have seen. Projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars get completely destroyed because fittings were put on correctly and they slid off and failed. So I had that happen on a PEX job a few years ago with a contractor, and they got the whole basement remodel done and the basement remodel had to be happen over again because of the water that was in there where they went from C P V C into Pex in the, in the plumber back then.

[00:05:37] Eric Goranson: So this was probably, uh, four or five years ago. A plumber back then used that. And um, now, you know, this is kind of the thing that we're seeing is good plumbers don't use these as permanent fixes. Now, what's the best way to do it? Well, if you're going from, let's say, C P V C into Pex, great. Glue on a fitting that's [00:06:00] female.

[00:06:00] Eric Goranson: Put a male fitting on there, some Teflon tape, and continue on with it. And so use a threaded connection. That'll be stronger. You know, if you have copper that you're working with, great. That's an easy one. Sweat on a fitting that's got barbs on it. Then you can go over to your pex A or whatever throughout that.

[00:06:20] Eric Goranson: But really taking the time to get those things, you know going is great Now. In a crawl space or something if you have a, a fitting down there, sure, I get that. But never bury a shark bite or one of the push connect fittings in a wall. First off, here's why I don't like using 'em on projects as well. Let's, let's get into the nuts and bolts of it.

[00:06:41] Eric Goranson: One, it's a failure. Point two, they're darn expensive. When you start looking at a $10 fitting versus a. A $2 fitting that adds up quick in a project. So my, my best recommendation for you as a homeowner [00:07:00] is to get the right tools. If your house uses ps, you're gonna be replacing with ps. Great. If you're gonna be sitting there and you've got copper and you need to do a repair, I mean, it's good for a to have in the toolbox in case something goes bad.

[00:07:14] Eric Goranson: Don't get me wrong. But really when it comes down to it, learning how to sweat pipe is easy. It's not that hard to do, and I. It's the right way to fix these problems. And if I can learn how to sweat pipe, I know you can learn how to sweat pipe. It's not that hard to get the torch out. And so, uh, that is going to be the strongest way.

[00:07:34] Eric Goranson: And there's tests that show that, that, uh, like when you're working on copper, it's not close as far as what the P ss I takes to, uh, to destroy that copper versus destroy the, uh, the shark bite fitting, blowing off the end. So these are things that, uh, You know, doing this right and using these fittings in the correct place is good.

[00:07:53] Eric Goranson: And you know, just take the time and do this right. It will save you so much time and money in the long run, and you're [00:08:00] not gonna have to worry about it. The last thing you wanna do is go, man, I got 50 bucks worth of sharp bike fittings behind the, behind the shower wall. And if I gotta tear this out again and redo the tile or go through the outside of the house or a bedroom just because, I didn't do it right.

[00:08:15] Eric Goranson: This is where things really start to get expensive, especially you gotta tear that shower out. Oh my gosh, that's not one of the good ones. So, uh, just things to consider, things to consider, and I did see this this last weekend. I was over at a house that I'm looking at for an upcoming project where the homeowner, uh, had been taken a advantage of by an unlicensed illegal contractor.

[00:08:40] Eric Goranson: And, uh, Jason McDaniels from Global Tile Posse, which if you remember back, that was the sledgehammer contractors, people that came in and fixed it. This job was of equal poor quality to the sledgehammer contractor, except he didn't come try to repo it. Uh, much more standup of a person after they, you know, took these [00:09:00] people's money.

[00:09:01] Eric Goranson: At least they're now starting to give some money back to them. So I have to give them, you know, some kudos for that. At least one check has shown up. But, uh, This is one of those things that I look at and go, man, there is an expensive lesson here as, uh, we went out. And, uh, looked at what this, I'm gonna use air quotes, a contractor, definitely not a licensed contractor, but, uh, these three bathrooms that we took a look at were some of the worst bathrooms.

[00:09:26] Eric Goranson: For me. It was the worst bathroom I had seen as far as tile. And for Jason, he said it was as well. So I. These are things that we want to try to avoid. I'll talk a little bit more about that project. We come back just as soon as a round the house returns. Why

[00:09:46] Eric Goranson: should I be so hot?[00:10:00]

[00:10:11] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the Around The House Show. This is where we hope to get the most outta your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. We've been talking about my, uh, top 10 electrical and plumbing mistakes that, uh, homeowners typically make. And, uh, trying to really help you, uh, dodge them yourselves, or at least think about 'em to see if it's something that you could improve your skills on.

[00:10:32] Eric Goranson: And, uh, you know, and, and homeowners are not, are not, uh, just the only ones that make these mistakes. Uh, I was out on Saturday. We're talking the last segment I was out at, uh, a house. You're fairly close to me, 10 minutes away. And, uh, these unfortunate people got taken advantage of by a, uh, contractor. And we used the word contractor loosely because lot licensed bon insured.

[00:10:57] Eric Goranson: They missed that part of the research [00:11:00] and, uh, took them for a ride. And, uh, Jason and I were going through and taking a look and oh my gosh, the plumbing mistakes, the tile mistakes, the siding, windows and doors framing. This whole, this is gonna be a, a project that if, uh, the homeowner had the money, they would be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix correctly.

[00:11:20] Eric Goranson: I mean, he got a quote just on the outside of the house that was, uh, like 180 grand just to fix the exterior from the mistakes these people had made. So you can just kinda get an idea how bad this project is. So, This is something that, uh, you out there that are homeowners, you probably would've done a better job than this, quote unquote, you know, uh, person pretending to be a contractor.

[00:11:46] Eric Goranson: Two, uh, I think most people would've stopped and went, wow, I'm over my skis on this and gotten some help. And, uh, none of those things happen on this project. So we're gonna try to help these people a little bit and, uh, put together something to at least, uh, help 'em get back into this house. [00:12:00] 'cause right now it is currently not livable and that's gonna be an issue for 'em.

[00:12:04] Eric Goranson: So next up on our list here, uh, not following electrical and plumbing code. And this is one of the biggest mistakes that are made out there. And I see this, especially when it's like a water heater install or something like that. Um, many times someone will come in, replace the water heater, they're going to replace what's there, put it back the same way as best they can, and off they go.

[00:12:25] Eric Goranson: And if a homeowner came in there first and rolled their house and has already had their hand in replacing the water heater a couple times, you could be just duplicating those mistakes that were already made. For instance, in many areas you have to have on a water heater. Building code says it has to be strapped to the wall and attached to studs.

[00:12:46] Eric Goranson: You. Um, in some areas they require an expansion tank. In some areas that drain line, uh, for the pressure, temperature relief valve needs to go all the way outside of the exterior of the building. Uh, if [00:13:00] it's an electric water heater, there needs to be romex. Not romex coming outta the wall. It needs to be a whip where it's a, uh, you know, moisture, uh, you know, a, a stranded line, typically that's gonna go out there.

[00:13:13] Eric Goranson: Or even a hard copper one, depending on what you've got going on. But, uh, really it needs to be in conduit from the water heater all the way up to the box. That conduit probably needs to be attached someplace. So it's not whipping around. So you see where I'm going at here. These are the issues that we see.

[00:13:29] Eric Goranson: And then when we get into gas venting is also a big danger as well. So you can see we're just in a water heater. These coat issues can be such a major issue with what you have going on. And, uh, you know, if you're, if you're doing things even differently, like going from a, a gas water heater to a on demand and now you've got different efficiencies and you've got different vents, This is where building code is really your friend.

[00:13:57] Eric Goranson: And when it comes to gas, health, safety, and welfare, [00:14:00] stuff like this, or electrical, you don't wanna fire and plumbing as well, or you don't wanna get someone hurt. These are all things that, uh, should be done correctly and to your local building code. So make sure you understand your local building code and you know, unfortunately, um, every state is different.

[00:14:19] Eric Goranson: And some areas, the state doesn't run the building codes, the city does. So you could be, you could have one building code on one side of the street and literally another building code on the other side of the street. So these are issues you need to, uh, to take a look at. In my area, it is a, um, mostly a state building code, even though like the city of Portland has the ability to do some additional ones on top of it.

[00:14:41] Eric Goranson: But generally speaking in, uh, the states around me at least, uh, it is a state issue. But, uh, the, the east and uh, the northeast here in the United States, uh, definitely, uh, a state or a local issue, depending on what they are. And you could have, of course, um, [00:15:00] international building code could be grabbed in one year in like 2012 or whatever.

[00:15:04] Eric Goranson: And then you could have somebody that's just grabbing, you know, a newer version of it. So you've got different versions out there as well. So this is why I can't really address it here, is there's just too many variables. Of what it is, but you want to at least exceed that building code. If you wanna take it farther, that's even better.

[00:15:24] Eric Goranson: But as far as meeting that code, you wanna make sure you got that in there. So making sure that you understand what that code is and, uh, what you're doing, you know, and, and some of these things are, are like putting the chandelier over the top of the bathtub in the bathroom. Uh, you know, some of these things that are really kind of dangerous if you're standing in the bathtub and you're tall and you reach that chandelier.

[00:15:45] Eric Goranson: You shouldn't be grabbing electrical stuff on your bathtub. That's like grabbing the hair dryer. And we've seen that in way too many movies. Uh, and it usually doesn't end well for the person catching the hair dryer. So these are things you just want to understand and understand why they're there. [00:16:00] So, uh, something to consider when doing that.

[00:16:03] Eric Goranson: Now the next one up here is a big one, and this is in plumbing, using the wrong materials. So this is gonna be. Number six, basically on our list using the wrong materials and plumbing. And what I'm talking about is some of the flex drain options that you can get when you're trying to, trying to repair maybe a P trap or something underneath your sink or bathroom vanity.

[00:16:31] Eric Goranson: These are things that, um, you know, there are a lot of things that you can buy in home centers, especially when it comes to plumbing that don't meet building code. So make sure you understand what that is. And that you're good to go because the last thing I wanna see you have to worry about is making sure that, um, you've got problems that, uh, are gonna damage your home.

[00:16:51] Eric Goranson: So make sure that you're using the right materials, which goes back to that last one, which is not following a local electrical code. [00:17:00] You know, we see this all the time. I see this in water heaters like we were talking about, where, where they, um, were mixing materials together where I've, I've seen rust coming out and I'm like, why is that rust coming from in the house?

[00:17:12] Eric Goranson: Is it a. A plumbing line failing? No. Somebody grabbed outta the truck or their garage a uh, piece of black iron and gas pipe, and they used it to, to be a little nipple, to, uh, connect two pieces of pipe together or a coupler and all of a sudden that raw iron is just sending rust throughout the system and it's can be something that simple that can just create thousands of dollars of damage.

[00:17:35] Eric Goranson: So that is one of those two that you need to be careful with. And then I've seen plenty of times people grabbing the wrong materials and, and creating issues with their P trapps underneath the sink. So you get the wrong materials. Maybe you create an SS trap instead of a p trapp by accident because you've got the wrong plumbing fittings.

[00:17:53] Eric Goranson: So these are all things that you should really think about as far as getting the right pieces at the job so you can do it [00:18:00] correctly and meet your building code. But, Using the wrong materials is a huge problem on residential d i y projects, and that's something I want you to make sure that you pay attention 'cause it will save you a ton of headaches.

[00:18:12] Eric Goranson: Just like, uh, can't tell you how many times I've seen people using, uh, shark bites all the way into the, uh, into the water heater as well, where that's just an issue. And, uh, Some of the messes underneath the sink and the plumbing can be quite the disaster. Alright, we got so much more. We come back of our top 10 electrical and plumbing mistakes homeowners make just as soon as about the house returns.[00:19:00]

[00:19:12] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round the House Show. This is where we hope you get the most outta your home crew, information and education. Thanks for joining me today. We've been talking about this hour, my top 10 electrical and plumbing mistakes homeowners make. And we were even talking earlier about the ones their contractors are making too.

[00:19:27] Eric Goranson: But this is just to bring awareness to these issues. So, uh, if you're tackling a project, you can think, Hmm, maybe there's a better way of doing this, which is always a good thing because if you can do it once and fix it, right. You know, everybody wins, including you not having to go back and do it again.

[00:19:44] Eric Goranson: 'cause that always costs you more money. So here's one of my next ones here that I wanted to talk about. We talked about, uh, you know, not using junction boxes in electrical using shark bite fittings. As a permanent fix, uh, not following local electrical and plumbing code and [00:20:00] using the wrong materials and plumbing.

[00:20:02] Eric Goranson: The next one is, is adding too much to an electrical circuit instead of a new home run. So maybe adding a couple extra outlets. And I've seen this happen like in bathrooms. They're like, oh, well, you know, we've got, uh, two outlets, you know, just one outlet really, you know, in a bathroom. I'm gonna put another set of outlets over there.

[00:20:21] Eric Goranson: But the problem is, is that that one clicks off. Even when you put in a curling iron in it, maybe a second home run might be what you need. And so running a new circuit is, is troublesome for some people, depending on where it has to go. Some people with with crawlspaces basements, attics, it's not that big a deal.

[00:20:40] Eric Goranson: Some people, it's really hard to get that electrical there. So these are all issues that you have to kind of take a look at and say, okay, what's it gonna take to make it happen? And so I really wanna make sure that we've got those things addressed. So make sure that you're not overloading a circuit. And that's, that's a big one.

[00:20:58] Eric Goranson: And, you know, [00:21:00] lighting circuits these days have actually gotten a little bit better because we went from using an incandescent light bulb that, uh, you know, maybe used, you know, geez, you know, you had a hundred watt light bulb in there, a 75 watt light bulb. But now you have something that's pulling maybe one or two watts.

[00:21:16] Eric Goranson: So we used to have big problems with electrical. That we'd have, uh, you know, lighting circuits almost be cooking off because you had too many on there these days, not the case. Uh, but still it's those electrical outlets that you have to be careful with that. Uh, you know, for instance, I, in my house, um, if you're running, um, I.

[00:21:37] Eric Goranson: Because it's an old house, the microwave circuit that it's on. If the microwave is running and you plug a vacuum cleaner into that same circuit, guess what? It's gonna click it off. So these are things that you have to be careful with, you know, uh, using too much amperage on there. So just, you know, pulling too much power on one circuit, making sure it's not clicking off.

[00:21:55] Eric Goranson: And that's an important one. So make sure that you've got that. And if you've got a G F C I outlet [00:22:00] or something that is not working correctly, don't forget those are about a 10 year lifespan. So maybe you need to swap out and put a fresh one in there because they do eventually wear out. But, uh, making sure that you're not overloading a circuit is a big one.

[00:22:13] Eric Goranson: And, uh, never go in and put in a larger breaker unless you know exactly what's happened. That is another problem where people go, oh, I put a 20 amp on top of 15, but you still have the wrong wire and the wrong outlets and stuff. You just, um, it's crazy. You don't want to do it. And that's a whole other rabbits hole we're not gonna dive into.

[00:22:33] Eric Goranson: Uh, and that's maybe another episode, but, uh, whew. Be careful guys. I wanna see Burn Our House down. Now, the next one on my list here is a big one, and it's one of the mistakes that many homeowners make and even contractors, uh, can make. Not paying attention to warning signs of failure. Now, great example. I have a neighbor over here that is a, uh, that moved out.

[00:22:55] Eric Goranson: They had some serious water damage in their house. [00:23:00] They moved out, called for an inspection, bought a house outta state, and they found, you know, 150 $200,000 of the water damage in the house because a. Upstairs bathroom was leaking. It leaked underneath the cabinets, the other bathroom down the wall into the kitchen.

[00:23:14] Eric Goranson: So now they're doing two bathrooms in a kitchen as well as a lot of other renovations. Problem is, how did you not know that you had water damage in those? Did you have high humidity? I'm sure there were signs that were missed. Rarely. Do you have a problem there? You know, that that gets skipped, you know?

[00:23:34] Eric Goranson: I mean, a lot of times you'll sit there and go, huh, I got a warping wood floor. Or Why does this room smell musty and damp? You know, why do I smell something wet and rotten? These are things that are warning signs that that small leaks and plumbing can be an issue. So taking a look at the humidity in your house.

[00:23:54] Eric Goranson: Monitoring that, making sure that you don't have any leaks. And then paying attention to the warning [00:24:00] signs of of a, of a spongy floor or a warped hardwood floor or discoloration under vinyl flooring or anything like that. Or warning signs of much bigger things that are going on. And if you're keeping an eye on things like, you know, I always recommend having mold tests done every few years to see what's going on.

[00:24:18] Eric Goranson: If you've got mold inside a wall that could show up on the mold test, most likely it will. So these are things that you can do to prevent it, but really watching for that and the high humidity and the musty smell is a big warning sign Just as around toilets and bathtubs or other places that you'll see warning signs, you'll have that boy, the toilets are moving around a little bit, or boy, I walk in front of the toilet and it's a little soft right there.

[00:24:42] Eric Goranson: I can feel the floor just flux a little bit to, okay, I have to get the plunger out all the time. What's going on with this? So there's a lot of warning signs. Be in tune with your house so you understand what those warning signs are and be on the lookout of them because if you can catch it early, it's always [00:25:00] gonna cost you less money to repair than it is if you catch it way on down the road.

[00:25:05] Eric Goranson: And sometimes though, with these leaks, insurance companies will pay for it. Sometimes they'll say, wow, you should have seen that. You had knowledge, you ignored it, and now you have to pay for it because you didn't maintain your house correctly. So you wanna get on it and make sure that, uh, you know it's covered appropriately, so that way you don't have that damage.

[00:25:26] Eric Goranson: So that's a big one. Now, next up here that I wanna talk about is a big one. Ignoring root damage to your sewer line or storm drain system. So we have two different systems here. We're talking about your, your sewer line, which is where it comes out from your house, you know, inside your house, out to the street.

[00:25:44] Eric Goranson: If you're on a sewer system or storm drain, that's what your gutters or any other, uh, drains around the outside of your house go into to make sure that that water drains away. So on the storm drain system, your gutter downspout should go into that storm drain [00:26:00] system. That you should have jetted out every four or five years tops.

[00:26:04] Eric Goranson: If you're in the forest like me, it could be a couple years. You want that free flowing, so you're good to go. So make sure you've got that dialed in. And then every few years, even if you have gutter guards, spend the time to get that thing cleaned out. You know, if, if you don't have gutter guards and you've got trees, maybe two or three years, if you've got gutter guards and then they're working well maybe every four or five years, but that should get you there.

[00:26:27] Eric Goranson: Now the sewer is a bigger issue, you know? 'cause sometimes you can reline those, but there's also things where you get those. Those hips are the, basically the dips in the sewer line where things collect. And that's where you have to, to really dig in and do a repair. And that can be a much more expensive thing, especially if it's in a driveway or a street or things like that.

[00:26:48] Eric Goranson: So be careful of that. And in my area here, if you buy a house, you have to, uh, have a, uh, sewer, you know, [00:27:00] uh, inspection done as part of that to make sure that that works correctly. That's part of the process of purchasing a house, just like when they test for radon, that's another one. Depending on your area, what the issues are.

[00:27:10] Eric Goranson: If you're out buying a house, these are things I really want you to make sure and take some time and get that sewer inspected. Get the camera down there, make sure it's working. Make sure you don't have any issues. Mine was beautiful, pristine. I have a sewer line running down the side of my house, just over in the easement over there, so it's not on my property, but.

[00:27:29] Eric Goranson: Mine goes right out my house drops right down into that. So it's a pretty short run. So it's a, it's an easy one for me, but some people have a hundred feet or more and you wanna make sure that, that is good when you purchase the place. So that's another tip right there. So making sure that you don't have trees or damage to that or breaks, making sure that's working correctly, that's one that, um, is a mistake that's happening, is not paying attention to that sewer system.

[00:27:53] Eric Goranson: So make sure you've got that really. Dialed in. Now. Another thing is too, is making sure where you're planting those trees, [00:28:00] make sure that you've got trees and stuff that are well away from that area there. Uh, you don't wanna see those roots getting into that and doing damage because, uh, tree roots are one of the number one problems with sewer lines they'd love to get in there, especially the older ones where you got clay or cement.

[00:28:14] Eric Goranson: Uh, they love to get it around there, and that's where you get those issues and that's where maybe doing a relining job is gonna be making sense for you. And there's some great new technology with that, that you don't have to dig things up. So that's another good option there. Alrighty guys, if you want more information, head over to around the house.

[00:28:30] Eric Goranson: online.com. You can see the YouTube videos and everything else over there around the house. We'll be right back. We'll wrap this subject up just after these important messages. Don't go anywhere.[00:29:00]

[00:29:06] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to Around the House. Show this where we hope you get the most outta your home through Information Education. Thanks for joining me today. Hey, if you want more information about us, head over to, uh, Facebook and join our, uh, around the House Show page. Over there, you'll see around the House Show.

[00:29:21] Eric Goranson: And then we have around the House Nation, which is our close group where people are always. Sharing up their stories and things like that over there. And, uh, we have a lot of great times happening over that page with great projects getting shared up. Well, we've been talking today about my top 10 electrical and plumbing mistakes that people make and we've gone down quite the list so far.

[00:29:40] Eric Goranson: Lemme do a recap. I. Number 10, not using junction boxes and electrical. Number nine, using chart bike fittings as a permanent fix. Number eight, not following local electrical and plumbing code. Number seven, using the wrong materials and plumbing, talking the fluxx strains and all that stuff you don't wanna be using.

[00:29:59] Eric Goranson: [00:30:00] Uh, next step. Adding too much to an electrical circuit instead of a new home run and a new breaker. Next up not paying attention to warning signs of failure, all those signs that it's given you. And then, um, number four, ignoring root damage to your sewer line. Now number three is a big one right here. And this is only for people that maybe are not in the city atmosphere here of, uh, where you're living in that area, but really not maintaining your septic tank system.

[00:30:33] Eric Goranson: Now what this can be is this can be sitting there and you have a septic tank and you're not maintaining it. You're driving over the top of your drain field. You are just not doing what needed to be done with that and always refer to your local expert in this, but really, Three to five years is where they say, in most cases, that needs to be pumped out.

[00:30:55] Eric Goranson: When was the last time you had this pumped out? And now that you're seeing newer [00:31:00] technology and systems, you know, really for you to make sure that system is maintained, functioning correctly, you've got the right enzymes going and you're not putting things down there that you shouldn't be putting down there.

[00:31:12] Eric Goranson: And I'm talking about, I don't like garbage disposal going down there. I don't like flushable wipes. Those are all things that don't break up. And shouldn't be going into a septic system 'cause it's gonna get expensive. And what I mean by expensive is if you've got an old system in there. Now when you go to replace it, you might need to have a different style system depending on where you live.

[00:31:33] Eric Goranson: So there are new pumped systems where they have, uh, these different tanks and you got a, a pump motor and it's, it's, you can spend $50,000 quickly on a new system. If you would've just maintained it for maybe 500 bucks or a thousand bucks a year tops, you'd be in a better shape. So I want you to use your money wisely, even though those pump systems can be much better for the [00:32:00] environment, if you can get some more life outta your system and you're on a budget, that is where you can get some savings.

[00:32:07] Eric Goranson: So, Rule number one, don't flush things down there that you don't want to. Two, I'm not a big fan of two of like, draining your, um, your, uh, if you have hard water, draining that into your septic tank can be problematic. Putting all that salt in there, that can be an issue. Uh, and also making sure that you're just not putting solids in there that don't need to go in there.

[00:32:28] Eric Goranson: So maintain that system, have an expert check it every couple years and really get the most life out of it. Now, next up is probably one of the most important ones out there. And uh, it's number two for that reason. For me, failure to identify when to call in a pro. There are times that even I call in that pro great example.

[00:32:53] Eric Goranson: My favorite is, uh, when I'm gonna do an electrical panel on my house. I called in my friends over at Rose [00:33:00] City Electric to come do the panel. Because they are gonna be up to code. I wanted to make sure that the permits were filed, everything was inspected, it was beautiful, ready to go. That's exactly what I did, because I wanted to make sure that my old panel, which was gonna be complex to change out and, and here's why.

[00:33:17] Eric Goranson: So I had one of the old federal Pacific panels that was, uh, uh, ready for a fire. Uh, the big light black had overheated due to a. A, uh, fault in the line coming in overhead 'cause it was old and it was, uh, shorting out the neutral and it was starting to, uh, overheat that line. My house was ready for a fire, it was ready to go.

[00:33:42] Eric Goranson: So these are things you gotta be very careful with. And of course, here's where the, the, the bad part was, is that to upgrade my panel, I had to also move where the panel was gonna be because it didn't meet current code in that. That panel and my overhead [00:34:00] needed to move about 20 feet from where it was to meet current building code.

[00:34:03] Eric Goranson: So my meter had to move as well, and I had to move into a spot that, quite frankly, I didn't like, but I didn't have much of a choice. So, um, unfortunately it's just where it was. So I had to move that, and this was one of those things that I went, you know, I could have done it, yes, but this was best for an electrician to come knock out and I'm happy I did.

[00:34:23] Eric Goranson: That saved me a ton of time and, uh, it was done correctly. Now, plumbing, for instance, uh, I bring in the pros when I wanna water jet something, when I want to clean out Hydro Jett out, uh, my, I bring in the pros. They have the tools, it's easier, and, uh, they have the high pressure stuff to knock that out, which is good.

[00:34:42] Eric Goranson: So knowing what your ability is is key, right? So let's make sure that you understand that. Sometimes you go out, look at it and go, man, I'm not doing this. Uh, this is above my skill grade. I'm bringing in a pro. That's what you wanna do. [00:35:00] And you wanna do that before you get yourself stuck, right? You get into the project halfway through and you're like, oh man, I didn't even know where to go from here.

[00:35:06] Eric Goranson: And then you have to bring the pro in. And when you do that on an emergency basis, it'll always cost you more money every single time. So just understanding where that is, is a key. And when in doubt, bring in that licensed plumber, bring in that licensed electrician, and make sure that they're following building code and they're doing all the right stuff.

[00:35:25] Eric Goranson: So that's number two. And number one, let's get to this. 'cause this is an important one. Let going for the cheap fix versus the longest lasting fix. And this is another one, you know, and, and I get it guys, things are freaking expensive out there. You know, labor is higher, materials are higher than it's ever been before.

[00:35:47] Eric Goranson: Things are sketchy on the pricing out there. But we still have to maintain our homes and for many people it's really hard. It's especially living paycheck to paycheck. So I get it. So you need to do the [00:36:00] best you can for your investment. What I don't want you to see is to do something where you could have spent.

[00:36:04] Eric Goranson: An extra hundred dollars and fix something instead of having to go back and spend hundreds of dollars to fix it later. So make sure that you are making the best choice in putting the right materials in there. You know, if you have a kitchen faucet, Failed and you can't afford to buy a decent one and you're like, man, I gotta go buy this $20 Amazon one.

[00:36:26] Eric Goranson: I get it. Just know that down the road, that's not gonna last long. You need to go put in the right one later. But if it gets you by and you know you're trying to keep food on the table and the kids in school and all that stuff, I totally get it. So just make sure you can do the best you can and when you can't get it there to put something quality in there and you're doing it as a D I Y project, just make sure that you go back.

[00:36:48] Eric Goranson: Upgrade that when you have the resources, because that's just gonna hurt you. And sometimes with something like that where it's water-based or electrical, you know, maybe it's not safe enough to really use on [00:37:00] a long-term thing. You know, a $20 Amazon faucet, the one I tested last week in the show, looked great.

[00:37:06] Eric Goranson: It held up for 15 minutes of testing, but how is that thing after a year? I have no idea. It was made cheaply, but, um, felt quality. But really you have to have the expectation that a $20 faucet isn't going to last long and you're never gonna get repair parts. Good. Really? What, like, great example, water heaters.

[00:37:26] Eric Goranson: Okay, so you're putting the cheaper water heater in. It doesn't have the warranty, doesn't have all that stuff. That'll get you buy it for a number of years, you know, and I see that you're not going in and buying the most expensive one at your home center. You're buying the cheapest one you can get to get it in there.

[00:37:40] Eric Goranson: I get that. That happens. You're just not gonna get the lifespan that you get out of a more expensive one. And does it probably cost you more money? Yeah, you can get lucky. It's really depending on your situation. Sometimes that water heater, if you buy the cheap one, it's gonna last. Right? There's not too many things with it.

[00:37:55] Eric Goranson: It's simple. It'll go, will it last? As long as the, the premium one, probably [00:38:00] not. 'cause they probably did some better parts and stuff on it. But really when it comes down to it, you got your hot water back. So that's the key. So just use some, uh, balance while you're doing this and it's gonna be okay, you know?

[00:38:10] Eric Goranson: But, uh, just make sure that you're doing the best you can with picking the cheapest stuff versus the longest lasting stuff. You can do it once. Nobody likes doing a D I Y project twice. Alright, everybody. That's my top 10 electrical and plumbing mistakes that, uh, people make around their house. Now there's a ton more.

[00:38:29] Eric Goranson: If I missed one head over to around the house online and message over there, I'd love to get your take on it of, uh, which one I missed. Uh, should I do another 10? Let's hear it. If you've got 10 more. Send 'em on over. I'd love to see what they are coming up here. In our next hour, we've got two different subjects.

[00:38:46] Eric Goranson: We're gonna talk about tricks to keep your house cool and my home security list of things to do for fall. Things that you can be doing around your house to make sure that, uh, as the daylight gets shorter here in the United States, what do we do to make sure that, uh, [00:39:00] um, you know, many of us haven't been outside of the dark a lot just because.

[00:39:04] Eric Goranson: With our busy schedules and, and um, you know, this is where a little bit of security coming into the fall and winter is gonna be a good thing. So let's talk a little bit about what we can do to keep that dialed in. And if you want any more information about around the house, head over to around the house online.com and of course, Make sure you follow us on social media.

[00:39:23] Eric Goranson: Alright everybody, we'll jump over to hour number two. Don't go anywhere around the house. We'll be right back. Have these important messages.