Expert Guide to Spring Plumbing Maintenance
You may already know that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs seasonal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you realize that you also need to call an expert for annual plumbing maintenance? Rob's Albertan Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Edmonton homeowners to help them find issues before they turn into big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and schedule your plumbing maintenance every year, here are three ways you can get your home in ideal plumbing shape for spring.
- Inspect for leaks
Inspect all your faucets and toilets for any leaks. Confirm there is no water dripping out of or around the connections when you shut off your faucets. If there is, replacing the fixtures or repairing the leak could help enhance the faucet’s performance and may even save you money on your water bill.
In addition to faucets, check any accessible pipes for indications of leaks. You can usually see visible pipes below sinks and down in the basement. Sometimes pipes can freeze and then crack so spring is the perfect time to make sure the winter weather didn’t cause any damage or plumbing problems.
- Give your drains some long overdue love
Check your toilet for any cracks or leaks in the bowl and the tank. If it seems to be in good working order, go ahead and pour about six drops of food dye into the tank water. Wait 30 minutes and then look at the bowl. If the bowl is uncolored, you’re fine. If the dye appears in the bowl, you possibly have a leak and should call a plumbing expert.
- Don’t forget your water heater maintenance
If a stench seems to be drifting up through any of the drains in your home, it could be a sign that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly running drain shouldn’t release smells into the air. Confirm there are strains installed in all your drains to prevent hair and other remains from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. Following treatment with a common drain cleaner, pour four quarts of water down drains that are not used regularly. This will fill the trap and help to stop odors from getting in and stinking up your home.
Your water heater takes good care of you so ensure you’re returning the love. Don’t forget that newer water heaters have a higher efficiency, so if yours is more than 15 years old, it is probably about time to start looking into a new one to be sure you don’t have that unexpected burst of cold water for a week. Despite whether or not you plan on replacing your water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it operating properly.
Check the temperature setting on the water heater and make sure it’s not higher than 120°F. This will help lower your energy use (and help decrease your bills) while also avoiding scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to relocate any objects from around the water heater. Your 12 month Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it could actually help your water heater be more efficient and avoid plumbing problems moving forward.
These are just some ways of how you can help get your plumbing springtime-ready, but if you are not confident completing any of these tasks, always feel free to call Rob's Albertan Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your yearly plumbing maintenance and repair (or help prevent) any plumbing problems.
