Maintaining Your Home’s Plumbing Updates

The home’s plumbing is sometimes taken for granted, just like its electrical system. Homeowners always go for the reasoning that systems like that, out of sight and within the walls are just working. In reality, it typically takes them to have a big problem before a homeowner pays them any attention. By that time, you can be sure it would cost you a lot.

But when it comes to plumbing in a house, you can take various maintenance steps daily, weekly, and seasonally to help avoid costly problems from occurring. Here are a few tips to help ensure plumbing continues to run optimally in your home.

Daily Maintenance Of Your Plumbing

What you do every day will affect your plumbing. Daily maintenance involves clog prevention, which is one of the most common plumbing problems faced by homeowners.

Why think about jammed drains? Not only are clogs nuisances, but they also reduce the service life of your waste pipes by adding extra pressure and causing tension. Just a sluggish drain can cause problems, but before it becomes a full blockage, it is best to have a clog removed. Better still, firstly prevent blockages.

You make regular use of your home plumbing, so you need to take care of it every day. But how to do it? You can do that by following a few easy tips on plumbing maintenance to keep your water flowing into your pipes and removing waste from your home. The bathroom and kitchen are the two rooms in your home that provide the most water and are at the highest risk of plumbing problems arising.

Weekly Maintenance Of Your Plumbing

A plumbing leak almost always starts slowly but it can very quickly get out of hand. Therefore, you should do a weekly plumbing check of your home to look for signs of leaks. If you notice a musty scent, a puddle of water, or the growth of moulds, then you probably have a leak somewhere.

Another weekly maintenance suggestion is to check for smooth drainage of your drains. When your sink fills up with bubbles, it’s a sign the drain flows slower than expected. A smooth flowing drain as it descends will always have a complete swirl of water. Make sure to also test the faucet handles and the pipe valves during this inspection to make sure that no water escapes out of them.

Other common places to check for leaks weekly include your showerheads, fittings for the drain, and flappers for toilets.

Seasonal Maintenance Of Your Plumbing

Seasonal changes will affect your plumbing. There are certain maintenance measures for your plumbing system that you can take in the fall, winter, spring and summer.

The leaves and temperatures begin to drop during fall, giving you a subtle warning that winter is just around the corner. This is the time to get your pipes primed for the cold winter days ahead.

Outdoor spigots and water hoses used during spring and summer should be prepared for standby mode. Follow this checklist of outdoor plumbing maintenance to plan adequately for the cold days ahead:

• Remove your water hose from the outdoor spigot. The hose can freeze, expand and cause connected indoor pipes to burst when left attached.
• Turn off the outdoor spigots water valves, if you have them, and remove water from the outdoor water pipes.
• Check for drips and leaks of outside faucets. To make any necessary repairs, call a plumber before winter arrives.
• Using Styrofoam insulation, cover to protect all external spigots. This can be sold at home improvement stores.
• Insulate pipes in unheated parts of the house, such as garage and crawl spaces. Use heat tape around pipes that are susceptible to freezing.

Don’t take for granted your home’s plumbing system. Give it the attention it needs. With proper maintenance, it will reward you with lower energy bills and a healthier, cleaner and more hygienic home. If you need any help, call Shaul’s at 778-397-4850 to schedule an appointment with us.