You may already understand that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs annual HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you realize that you also need to call an expert for annual plumbing maintenance? Wesley Wood Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for West Chester homeowners to help them uncover issues before they turn into big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and arrange for your plumbing maintenance every year, here are a few ways to get your home in tip-top plumbing shape for spring.
Look at both your faucets and toilets for any leaks. When you turn off your faucets check around the connections for water dripping out; if there is, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help boost the faucet’s operation and may even save you money on your water bill.
In addition to faucets, examine any accessible pipes for indications of leaks. You can usually see 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 much needed attention
Check your toilet for any fractures or leaks in both the tank and the bowl. If it seems to be in good shape, go ahead and pour about six drops of food dye into the tank. Wait for about 35 minutes and then look at the bowl. If the bowl water is not colored with the dye, you’re good to go. If the dye appears in the bowl, you may have a leak and will want to call a plumbing expert.
- Remember your water heater maintenance
If something foul seems to be getting in from any of the drains in your home, it may be an indication that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly functioning drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Confirm there are strains inserted in all your drains to avoid 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 into drains that are not used regularly. This will fill the trap and help to prevent odors from getting in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes good care of you so be sure you’re returning the love. Remember that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it could be time to invest in a new one to be sure you don’t have that sudden burst of cold water for several days. Despite whether or not you plan on purchasing an upgraded water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it operating properly.
Check the temperature setting on the water heater and make sure it’s not higher than 120°F. This will help lower your energy consumption (and help reduce your bills) while also avoiding scalding. For the purpose of safety, you will want to remove any objects from around the water heater. Your annual Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it may actually help your water heater operate more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems moving forward.
These are just a few ways of how to help get your plumbing springtime-ready, but if you are not confident performing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call Wesley Wood Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your seasonal plumbing maintenance and rectify (or help stop) any plumbing problems.