You may already know that your heating and AC equipment needs annual HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also require annual plumbing maintenance by an expert? Peachtree Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Atlanta homeowners to help them find issues before they become big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and schedule your plumbing maintenance annually, here are a couple ways for you to get your home in ideal plumbing shape for spring.
Check all your faucets and toilets for any leaks. Confirm there is no water dripping out of or around the connections when you shut off your faucets. If there is, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help enhance the faucet’s function and may even reduce your water bill.
After the faucets, scan any exposed pipes for evidence of leaks. You can usually find visible pipes below sinks and down in the basement. 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 seriously overdue TLC
Check your toilet for any leaks or cracks in both the tank and the bowl. If it seems to be in good condition, go ahead and add about six drops of food dye into the tank. Wait 30 minutes and then check the bowl. If the water in the bowl is clear, you’re in the clear. If the dye appears in the bowl, you could have a leak and should call a plumbing expert.
- Don’t forget your water heater maintenance
If an unpleasant odor seems to be drifting up through any of the drains in your home, it might be an indication that plumbing maintenance is required. A properly running drain shouldn’t release a stench into the air. Check to make sure there are strains inserted in all your drains to avoid hair and other remains 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 avoid odors from getting in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes good care of you so be sure you’re returning the favor. Remember that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is over 15 years old, it may be about time to purchase a new one to help make sure you don’t have that unpredicted burst of cold water for several days. Regardless if you plan on purchasing an upgraded water heater, there are a few things you can do to help keep it operating properly.
Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy usage (and help lower your bills) while also avoiding scalding. For safety sake, you will want to move away any items from around the water heater. Your yearly Plumbing PLUS Maintenance agreement 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 few ways of how you could help get your plumbing springtime-ready, but if you are not confident performing any of these tasks, please call Peachtree Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your annual plumbing maintenance and fix (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.