You may already be aware that your heating and AC equipment needs yearly HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you realize that you also require annual plumbing maintenance by an expert? Barlow Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for the Wasatch Front region homeowners to help them uncover issues before they result in big problems. While we recommend calling immediately for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are three ways for you to get your home in great plumbing shape for spring.
Check 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, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help boost the faucet’s function and may even lower your water bill.
In addition to faucets, examine any accessible pipes for indications of leaks. You can typically access visible pipes in basements and below sinks. 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 seriously overdue attention
Examine your toilet for any leaks or cracks in both the bowl and tank. If everything seems to be in good condition, go ahead and pour about six drops of food coloring into the tank. Wait 30 minutes and then look at the bowl. If the bowl water is clear, you’re in the clear. 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 an indication that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly operating drain shouldn’t release a stench into the air. Confirm there are strains inserted in all your drains to prevent hair and other waste from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. Following treatment with a common drain cleaner, pour a gallon of water through drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to avoid odors from getting in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes excellent care of you so be sure you’re returning the favor. Don’t forget that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it could be time to purchase a new one to be sure you don’t have that unpredicted burst of cold water for multiple days. Despite whether or not you plan on investing in a new water heater, there are a few things you can do to help keep it running properly.
Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy use (and help reduce your bills) while also avoiding scalding. For safety sake, you will want to remove anything from around the water heater. Your 12 month Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it could even help your water heater be more efficient and avoid plumbing problems moving forward.
These are just a few ways of how you could help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not comfortable performing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call Barlow Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your seasonal plumbing maintenance and repair (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.