You may already be aware that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs yearly HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but were you aware that you also need to call an expert for annual plumbing maintenance? Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Raleigh homeowners to help them uncover issues before they turn into big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are three ways you can get your home in tip-top plumbing shape for spring.
Inspect both your 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 performance and may even lower your water bill.
In addition to faucets, scan any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can typically see visible pipes in basements and below 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 TLC
Examine your toilet for any cracks or leaks in both the tank and the bowl. If everything seems to be in good working order, go ahead and add about six drops of food coloring into the tank. Wait half an hour and then check the bowl. If the water in the bowl is clear, you’re fine. If the dye appears in the bowl, you possibly have a leak and need to 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 may be an indication that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly working drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Check to make sure there are strains inserted in all your drains to prevent hair and other remains from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour a gallon of water into drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to avoid odors from sneaking in and stinking up your home.
Your water heater takes excellent care of you so be sure you’re returning the favor. Don’t forget that newer water heaters are going to be more energy efficient, so if yours is more than 15 years old, it could be time to purchase a new one to be sure you don’t have that unpredicted burst of cold water for multiple days. Despite whether or not you plan on replacing your water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it working properly.
Check the temperature setting on the water heater and make sure it’s not higher than 120°F. This will help lower your energy usage (and help reduce your bills) while also evading scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to remove any items from around the water heater. Your 12 month Plumbing PLUS Maintenance plan 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 couple ways of how to help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not confident performing any of these tasks, please call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and we can come out and perform your annual plumbing maintenance and fix (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.