As spring approaches, many homeowners start tuning up their appliances and home systems, as well as purging and deep cleaning their homes. One area of the home that is often overlook but very important: your plumbing system. Taking a quick look around your home, you can prevent costly repairs by checking on the following items each year.
Leaky Pipes and Faucets
Doing an once-over of your whole house is a great way to check for leaks. Not only should you look for actual water, but also signs that water has been where it shouldn’t. Signs of water leaks include wood rot, water damage, mildew odors, and mold. You check the areas around pipes, sinks, faucets, and even ceilings below your bathroom for any signs of leaking.
Water Heat Inspection
Check the age of your water heater and replace if appropriate. Your owner’s manual will likely have a recommended age of replacement but the general rule of thumb is 10 years. Water heaters also need to be serviced periodically and your technician will likely leave a sticker indicating the last service date. Look for any signs of damage to the system or surrounding area.
Water Pressure
Not only is low water pressure annoying but it can also be the symptom of a larger issue, such as a clogged pipe. Turn on each of your water fixtures, such as sink faucets and showerheads and put your hand in the water stream to gauge pressure. On the hand, too much water pressure isn’t good either. You know what they say, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. High water pressure is not only wasteful and environmentally unfriendly but it also cost you more on your water bill than you need to pay. Call your local plumber to sort out either of these issues easily.
Drain Issues
While you are running the water to check the pressure, this is a great time to check your drainage. If you notice any of your pipes are taking a long time to drain, or even not draining at all, you may have a clogged pipe. If that’s the case, it’s time to call a company offering DC drain services. Clogs can be caused by a variety of issues, including foreign objects such as hair, cooking oil, foreign debris, or even toilet paper. You’d be surprised the types of things that can be found in a kitchen sink drain. Literally, everything but the kitchen sink.
Preventing Sewer Back-Ups
Lastly, you should inspect your sewers and pipes where visible. If you live in an older house, you may have pipes made of clay or cast iron which are susceptible to breakage. In this case, you would want to replace your clay pipes with PVC piping which can be a daunting task but one that will pay off in the long run. A broken sewer line can lead to serious financial troubles, so it’s important to be proactive. If you live in a heavily wooded area, you may want to pay for a plumber to periodically jet your sewer line in order to break up any tree roots that may have crept in, in order to prevent breakage to your line.