You may already understand that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs annual HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also require annual plumbing maintenance by an expert? Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Livermore 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 for you to get your home in tip-top plumbing shape for spring.
Inspect all your faucets and toilets for any leaks. When you turn off your faucets check around the connections for water dripping out; if there is, installing new fixtures or repairing the leak could help enhance the faucet’s function and may even lower your water bill.
In addition to faucets, check any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can often find 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 TLC
Inspect your toilet for any cracks or leaks in both the bowl and tank. If your toilet seems to be in good working order, go ahead and add about six drops of food dye into the water in the tank. Wait 30 minutes and then peak at the bowl. If the bowl water is clear, you’re good to go. If the color appears in the bowl, you may 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 might be an indication that plumbing maintenance is required. A properly working drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Verify there are strains placed in all your drains to stop hair and other remains from spoiling in the pipes and causing them to clog. Following treatment with a common drain cleaner, pour four quarts of water into drains that are not used frequently. 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 be sure you’re returning the favor. Keep in mind that newer water heaters have a higher efficiency, so if yours is over 15 years old, it is probably about time to invest in a new one in order to ensure you don’t have that sudden burst of cold water for multiple days. Despite whether or not you plan on purchasing an upgraded water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it functioning properly.
Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help reduce your energy consumption (and help decrease your bills) while also preventing scalding. For the purpose of safety, you will want to move away any objects from around the water heater. Your annual Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it could even help your water heater operate more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems from happening.
These are just some ways of how to help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not confident completing any of these tasks, please call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and we can come out and complete your annual plumbing maintenance and fix (or help prevent) any plumbing problems.