A Plumbing Tuneup Can Help You Steer Clear of Disaster
Have you ever considered scheduling plumbing maintenance? Maybe it’s never occurred to you that calling a plumber before there’s an emergency can not only save you money in the long run, but also protect your home’s water supply and help keep your plumbed fixtures and appliances in good repair. Read on for what a plumbing tuneup entails.
What’s Plumbing Maintenance?
The major reason for scheduling plumbing maintenance is to catch small problems before they become major expenses. For instance, small leaks should be addressed right away. Not only do they waste money, but they also erode your fixtures. Locating and fixing leaks should be a major part of your annual maintenance.
Plumbing Maintenance Checklist
Other tasks besides locating and fixing leaks that might be on an annual plumbing maintenance list:
- Test the valves by the plumbed appliances to ensure they can be easily turned.
- Inspect and flush the water heater, getting rid of sediment.
- Check the dishwasher and clothes washer, to make sure they’re cycling and draining properly.
- Check the operation of the garbage disposal.
- Check plumbing pipes for signs of corrosion and leaks: blue-green deposits on copper and brass and rust on steel and iron.
- Check for slow bathroom or kitchen drains. Gurgling is a sign of slow-draining appliances and pipes.
- Inspect the toilet for proper flushing, draining and filling of the tank. Make sure the flapper is working properly.
- Check the water pressure from the home’s faucets to ensure the pipes are delivering a proper volume of water to the home.
- Don’t neglect the outdoor faucets, checking for leaks. In the fall, hoses should be disconnected and the faucets properly wrapped with a foam insulation cover to prevent freezing.
- Check plumbing vents to make sure they’re clear, removing any bird or rodent nests that may have been built there.
At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues — especially HVAC and plumbing issues, including a plumbing tuneup — so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.