Expert Guide to Spring Plumbing Maintenance

You may already understand that your heating and cooling equipment needs yearly HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but were you aware that you also require annual plumbing maintenance by an expert? Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for the U.S. homeowners to help them locate issues before they become big problems. While you should always call for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance every year, here are a couple ways for you to get your home in great plumbing shape for spring.

• • Check for plumbing leaks

Check your home’s 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 function and may even save you money on your water bill.

Once you’ve checked the faucets, check any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can typically access visible pipes below sinks and down in the basement. Extreme weather can cause pipes to freeze and sometimes crack so spring is the ideal time to make sure the winter weather didn’t cause any damage that would result in plumbing problems.

• •       Give your drains some long overdue attention

Check your toilet for any fractures or leaks in both the tank and the bowl. If your toilet looks like it’s in good shape, go ahead and pour about six drops of food dye into the tank. Wait half an hour and then look at the bowl. If the water in the bowl is not colored with the dye, you’re in the clear. If the dye appears in the bowl, you might have a leak and will want to call a plumbing expert.

• •       Don’t neglect your water heater maintenance

If something foul seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it could be a sign that plumbing maintenance is required. A properly running drain shouldn’t release a stench into the air. Verify there are strains placed in all your drains to prevent hair and other waste from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour eight pints of water through drains that are not used regularly. This will fill the trap and help to stop odors from getting in and smelling up your home.

Your water heater takes excellent care of you so be sure you’re returning the favor. Remember that newer water heaters are going to be more energy efficient, so if yours is over 15 years old, it is probably about time to purchase a new one to help make sure you don’t have that unpredicted burst of cold water for several days. Despite whether or not you plan on purchasing an upgraded water heater, there are a couple things you can do to help keep it functioning properly.

Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy use (and help lower your bills) while also preventing scalding. For safety sake, you will want to remove anything from around the water heater. Your yearly Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it may even help your water heater perform more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems in the future.

These are just a few ways of how you can help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not comfortable completing any of these tasks, always feel free to call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing and we can come out and conduct your annual plumbing maintenance and repair (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.