Expert Guide to Spring Plumbing Maintenance

You may already be aware that your heating and AC 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 discover issues before they become big problems. While we recommend calling immediately for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance every year, here are a couple ways you can get your home in great plumbing shape for spring. 

• Verify any plumbing leaks 

Check 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, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help better the faucet’s operation and may even save you money on your water bill. 

In addition to faucets, inspect any exposed pipes for signs of leaks. You can typically find visible pipes in the basement and under sinks. In extreme weather pipes can freeze and crack, so springtime is great to make sure the winter weather didn’t damage anything that could cause plumbing problems. 

•       Give your drains some seriously overdue care 

Inspect your toilet for any cracks or leaks in both the tank and the bowl. If it looks like it’s in good working order, go ahead and pour about six drops of food coloring into the water in the tank. Wait half an hour and then check the bowl. If the bowl water is uncolored, you’re good to go. If the dye appears in the bowl, you could have a leak and need to call a plumbing expert. 

•       Remember your water heater maintenance 

If an unpleasant odor seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it could be an indication that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly functioning drain shouldn’t release smells into the air. Confirm there are strains installed in all your drains to prevent hair and other debris from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. Following treatment with a common drain cleaner, pour eight pints of water down 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 good 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 over 15 years old, it could be time to purchase a new one to be sure you don’t have that unexpected burst of cold water for a week. Regardless if you plan on replacing your water heater, there are a couple things you can do to help keep it running properly. 

Make sure the temperature setting on the equipment is not set higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy consumption (and help decrease your bills) while also preventing scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to move away anything from around the water heater. Your yearly Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it could actually help your water heater be more efficient and avoid plumbing problems in the future. 

These are just a couple ways of how you could help get your plumbing ready for the season, but if you are not confident completing any of these tasks, always feel free to call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing and we can come out and complete your seasonal plumbing maintenance and fix (or help prevent) any plumbing problems.