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 need to call an expert for annual plumbing maintenance? Freschi Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Concord homeowners to help them find issues before they turn into big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are a few ways you can get your home in tip-top plumbing shape for spring.
Inspect 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, replacing the fixtures or repairing the leak could help better the faucet’s function and may even save you money on your water bill.
In addition to faucets, examine all exposed pipes for signs of leaks. You can often access visible pipes below sinks and down in the basement. 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 care
Inspect your toilet for any cracks or leaks in both the bowl and tank. If your toilet appears to be in good condition, go ahead and put about six drops of food color into the tank. Wait for about 35 minutes and then look at the bowl. If the bowl is clear, you’re in the clear. If the food coloring appears in the bowl, you possibly have a leak and should 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 be a sign that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly running drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Verify there are strains installed in all your drains to stop hair and other waste from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour a gallon of water through drains that are not used often. This will fill the trap and help to avoid odors from sneaking in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes great care of you so ensure you’re returning the favor. Remember that newer water heaters are going to be more energy efficient, so if yours is more than 15 years old, it is probably about time to invest in a new one to be sure you don’t have that sudden burst of cold water for a week. 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 lower your bills) while also evading scalding. For safety sake, you will want to remove any objects from around the water heater. Your yearly Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it could actually help your water heater operate more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems moving forward.
These are just a couple ways of how to help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not confident completing any of these tasks, always feel free to call Freschi Service Experts and we can come out and complete your annual plumbing maintenance and fix (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.