Expert Guide to Spring Plumbing Maintenance

You may already know that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs annual HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also need to call an expert for annual plumbing maintenance? 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 definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and schedule your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are a few ways you can get your home in ideal plumbing shape for spring.

• • Inspect for leaks

Inspect your home’s faucets and toilets for any leaks. Make sure there isn’t any water dripping out of or around the connections when you turn off your faucets. If there is, replacing the fixtures or repairing the leak could help enhance the faucet’s operation and may even reduce your water bill.

Once you’ve checked the faucets, scan any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can often find visible pipes in the basement and under 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

Inspect your toilet for any cracks or leaks in the bowl and the tank. If it looks like it’s in good working order, go ahead and pour about six drops of food coloring into the tank. Wait for about 35 minutes and then check the bowl. If the water in the bowl is clear, you’re fine. If the color appears in the bowl, you might have a leak and need to call a plumbing expert.

• •       Don’t neglect your water heater maintenance

If an unpleasant odor seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it may be a sign that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly working drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Verify there are strains inserted in all your drains to stop hair and other debris from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour four quarts of water through drains that are not used often. This will fill the trap and help to prevent odors from seeping in and filling up your home.

Your water heater takes excellent care of you so make 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 sudden burst of cold water for a week. Despite whether or not you plan on replacing your water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it working properly.

Check the temperature setting on the water heater and make sure it’s not higher than 120°F. This will help reduce your energy usage (and help decrease your bills) while also avoiding scalding. For safety sake, you will want to move away any items from around the water heater. Your annual Plumbing PLUS Maintenance plan includes a water heater maintenance; and it could actually help your water heater perform more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems in the future.

These are just a few ways of how you could help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not confident performing any of these tasks, you are welcome 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.