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? Church Services offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Houston homeowners to help them find issues before they become big problems. While you should always call for plumbing problems and schedule your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are a few ways you can get your home in great plumbing shape for spring.
- Verify any plumbing leaks
Check 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 improve the faucet’s operation and may even reduce your water bill.
After the faucets, scan any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can typically access visible pipes in the basement and under sinks. 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 much needed love
Inspect your toilet for any cracks or leaks in the bowl and the tank. If everything appears to be in good shape, go ahead and add about six drops of food coloring into the actual tank. Wait half an hour and then peak at the bowl. If the bowl water is not colored with the dye, 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 forget your water heater maintenance
If a stench seems to be drifting up through any of the drains in your home, it may be a sign that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly running drain shouldn’t release smells 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. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour eight pints of water into drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to stop odors from seeping in and stinking up your home.
Your water heater takes great care of you so make sure you’re returning the favor. Keep in mind that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is more than 15 years old, it could be time to invest in a new one in order to ensure 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.
Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help lower your energy use (and help lower your bills) while also evading scalding. For safety sake, you will want to relocate any items from around the water heater. Your 12 month Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it could actually help your water heater perform 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 comfortable performing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call Church Services and we can come out and conduct your yearly plumbing maintenance and repair (or help stop) any plumbing problems.