Contributed by Patricia Bonacorda
It’s easy to ignore your plumbing when taking care of other household responsibilities. Here are some easy tips to help make sure your plumbing continues to work reliably throughout the coming months:
Water Heaters
This will be a good opportunity to make sure your water heater is working properly so that you don’t run the risk of having to take cold showers. First, make sure the temperature setting is correct — most experts recommend it stay no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only will this reduce the amount of energy the appliance uses, it will also reduce the chances that scalding will occur.
One of the biggest enemies of a water heater is corrosion, which will not only make the unit inefficient, but also reduce its lifespan. Drain a few gallons from the tank to flush out the sediment that leads to corrosion.
If your unit is 15 years or older, consider having it replaced. A newer model will be much more efficient, helping you save money on your energy bill each month.
Other Appliances
Take a close look at the supply hoses that run to your icemaker, washing machine and dishwasher. If you see any signs of leaks or bulges, have them replaced as soon as you can. This is especially important if the hoses are more than 10 years old. Make sure to use stainless steel replacement hoses, because they are more durable and will pose less of a risk of bursting.
In addition, don’t forget to clean the lint trap of your washing machine, which is typically located along the internal recess of the unit and helps keep lint from blocking the drain. You may even want to consider having a plumber install a wire trap filter at the end of the drain hose to help improve drainage.
If you have a home with a basement, you more than likely have a sump pump installed. Check the pump so that you know it will be ready to do its job if flooding should occur. Pour a few buckets of water into the sump pit to make sure the pump will activate. It should turn on automatically, discharge the water and then shut off. Consider installing a flood alarm if you haven’t already, not only in the basement but your bathrooms as well.
Bathrooms
Speaking of the bathroom, look at your toilet and check for any kinds of leaks. You can easily spot an issue by adding some food coloring to the tank. If you see the water in your bowl changing colors after about 20 or 30 minutes, that means there is a problem with one of the components in the tank. Most people can replace these components on their own, but call a plumber if you’re not comfortable trying to perform this type of job.
Pay attention to the valves that supply water to your sinks and toilets as well. Over time, mineral deposits, rust, caulk and other materials can clog those valves and reduce the efficiency of your plumbing. Check to make sure you can turn the valves on and off easily so they work properly.
Kitchen
Just like the bathroom, you will also want to do a once-over of your kitchen plumbing as well. In addition to appliances, look at all fixtures to make sure there are no drips or leaks. Look at your faucet’s aerator (the screen located where the water comes out) and check for mineral deposits. Unscrew the aerator and soak it in vinegar overnight to clear any accumulation of minerals.
Outside the Home
Don’t ignore areas surrounding your home while making your plumbing checks. For instance, make sure your gutters, downspouts and yard drains are all clean and clear of debris such as leaves, grass clippings and more. Look at all your vent pipes and make sure there are no bird nests. Also, check all of your outdoor faucets — as well as your hose bibs — to confirm water can freely flow through them. If you have a leak in an outdoor faucet, or you notice any sort of leaking inside the home when you turn that faucet on, that could be a sign a winter freeze cracked the pipe and it will need to be replaced by a professional.
Consider having a plumber you trust perform a walk-through to make sure everything is working properly and efficiently; that way you can help to ensure your home will remain comfortable and functional all season.
Patricia Bonacorda is the President of Spartan Plumbing a plumbing and HVAC Company. From 1964 to now, they assisted apartment and multi-family homes since opening 1964. Spartan Plumbing is a licensed, bonded and insured business that has provided professional plumbing, heating and air conditioning services throughout the DC Region.
You do need to make sure the outside of your home get’s some plumbing maintenance done too. If you don’t, then you could have many different problems on your hand. Like if a pipe burst or something, then you have a flooded swampy yard, and possibly a flooded basement.
One of the biggest things people can do to avoid these disasters is just set up annual inspections with their local plumber. Gets repairs done and keeps new problems from happening.
Prevention is the key. I am now a firm believer in inspecting my appliance hoses etc… Especially the ice maker hoses! Checking my bathroom and kitchen fixtures for small leaks before they become Big problems is something we do every Spring. Great information. Thank You!
Always isolate! that’s the key to maintaining a system that’s easy to switch in and out. Ball valves are the single most important resource plumbers use in saving time and preventing disastrous leaks. I know some states require them as well. Also a good resource for water heater replacement is checking with your local gas company to see if rebates are available.
It’s SO important to take the right steps towards preventing bigger problems from occurring. I tell my customers this all the time, yet they never seem to listen. Thanks for the post!
The is great insights for a home owner, because a home owner
needs to be aware of what’s going on in and around there home.
A lot of the time repairs can be avoided if your educated on what to look for.
Great post! The section on water heaters is great, all homeowners should take this into consideration. We get hot water heater repair calls a lot and is always due to a lack of maintenance. Flushing out your water heater annually will increase its performance and life span. Thanks for posting!
Great job in pointing out the importance of checking and, if necessary, replacing supply hoses. So often we associate plumbing with the traditional items: toilet, sink, shower or bath; but as you so aptly stated the unseen plumbing like dish washers, washing machines, ice machines and the link are all in equal need of maintenance.
Fantastic article showing some incredible plumbing tips. We fix a lot of water systems after they have been installed for 15 years. Thanks for sharing quality information.
Great tips . thanks. The best thing people can do to avoid these disasters is just set up annual inspections with their local plumber. Gets repairs done and keeps new problems from happening.
What a good read. Really like how you touched on the water heater, many people forget that an old tank doesn’t perform the same as new. 12 to 15 years is a decent time frame for a replacement. Plumbers and homeowners are leaning towards tankless water heaters since the savings in energy cost are quite attractive.
Great post. As I usually tell my customers, it’s important to take care of issues before they get out of hand. And as you point out, prevention is one of the best methods. I have to agree with Pratha above though – a great way to make sure your prevention is in order is to get a yearly inspection with a local professional plumber.
adding food coloring to the tank to spot leaks is an clever.
your right about water heaters having problems with corrosion.
thats a good idea with putting the aerator in vinegar to clear the build up of minerals
prevention is better but a lot of people leave it to the last minute to fix things
Great tips about Water Problems, glad to see this post, this is great informative stuff for everyone, If you don’t mind I want to share this post on my personal blog.
No problem – just please source us and hyperlink back to the original post here. Thank you!
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It is not always a good idea to put harmful chemicals down the drain when trying to unclog it. I still suggest a help from the experts.
Very good plumbing advice pieces, thanks for sharing with us!
It gives me new insights as a French plumber.
Keep up the good work.
Best Regards,
J.L. Faure
Plumber at Bordeaux 33
Great tips all homeowners should follow.
Brad
Memphis Plumbing
Water prevention is necessary for better tomorrow as water is the basic and very important thing in our life and without it we cannot live whenever the valve is not working properly or some leakage occurs then immediately rectify it.Surrey Plumber
Thanks for sharing the great helpful tips thank you,
Thanks for having this article, it helps a lot. It’s a well-written blog and it is very informative. Keep on blogging, looking forward to see more of your posts!
I liked that you explained that one important thing to consider in order to maintain efficiency along your plumbing is to hire a plumber for routine maintenance. I would imagine that the plumbing issues would be expensive. I will be sure to hire a professional regularly in order to catch small problems before they turn into big ones.
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Leaky faucets and showerheads aren’t just a problem – they could be making you more money on your invoices. Repair this problem by displacing the rubber washers on these items. Appliances are affordable enough to buy and could save you cash in the extended run.
Plumbing tips should everyone know. Thanks for sharing these great tips of plumbing services.
My child pointed out to me the other week ago that there’s always a water puddle around the toilet whenever she flushes it after she uses it. Thanks for the tip that I should check my bathroom and see if there are any leaks on the toilet. I think I’ll hire a residential plumber to fix the leaks if I see any because I don’t have the tools to do so.
Great tips…Some more ideas:
1. Don’t Pour Grease or Oil Down the Drain
2. Use A Strainer
3. Watch What You Flush
4. Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
I really appreciate that you shared this amazing post with us, thanks for sharing and keep up the amazing work.
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Keeping your sewer line connected to the municipality water lines is very important. If your line is damaged within the boundary of your property lines, you are responsible for the costs to repair or replace.
I would recommend to regularly check the TPR valve of the water heater, you can do this by turning off the power buttons as well as the cold water valve. After that place a container under the pie which is directly linked with TPR valve. Lift the valve’s tab upward and release some water. Then let the tab go, in case the water is still flowing you need to drain the tank partway and unscrew the old valve using a pipe wrench.
Love this blogpost. Very comprehensive.
Our water bill just started rising when we noticed some loose screws in our toilet. The flush didn’t work, and then before we knew it we were paying twice as much. This is why I hoped I have read this article when it happened so we wouldn’t have felt so lost.
Flushing your water tank is definitely the most over looped maintenance aspect in plumbing! Great advice.
Don’t forget Tankless water heaters — also known as demand-type, on-demand or instantaneous water heaters — heat water directly, without the need to store water. A tankless heater has a flow sensing device that is activated whenever a hot water tap is opened. The unit then heats the water using either a gas burner or an electric element and directs the water wherever it’s needed in your home. Since there’s no tank that must be replenished, you don’t have to worry about running out of hot water. Once you close the hot water tap, the unit senses that the flow of water has stopped and shuts off the heating element.
Hello, I know things are really bad a few months now and I hope all of you are okay.
Awesome article! Everything in it was spot on. As a plumber I can’t stress to people enough how important water heater maintenance is. If you want more life out of it, you’ve got to put in the work to make it last longer.
I cant express enough how important this stuff is for any tradesman out there, thank you!
Thanks for the plumbing tips on preventing water problems. Indeed, this is very helpful for me, especially I am a technician of all aspects of water heater installation Austin, Water Damage & HVAC.
Great article! Everything about him is perfect. As a plumber, I cannot stress the importance of heater maintenance. If you want to give it more life, you have to work to make it last longer.
I love that idea that you shared about pouring food coloring in the toilet bowl to see if the components are working! My husband and I just bought an old home and we need to do a little work to make it nice looking. We will definitely be doing this and calling a plumber for our other issues!
Really nice tips in this post for homeowners. I love the idea with the food coloring, real clever! I’m going to share these tips with my customers! Thanks
This is such a lifesaver! I am always having trouble with my plumbing and have received a lot of knowledge here, thanks!