Expert Guide to Spring Plumbing Maintenance

You may already understand that your heating and AC equipment needs annual HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also need to call an expert for annual plumbing maintenance? Air Engineers Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Jacksonville homeowners to help them discover issues before they become big problems. While you should always call for plumbing problems and schedule your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are a few ways to get your home in great plumbing shape for spring. 

• Inspect for leaks 

Inspect both your faucets and toilets for any leaks. When you turn off your faucets check around the connections for water dripping out; if there is, replacing the fixtures or repairing the leak could help improve the faucet’s performance and may even save you money on your water bill. 

After the faucets, check any accessible pipes for signs of leaks. You can typically access visible pipes in the basement and under sinks. 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 

Check your toilet for any cracks or leaks in both the tank and the bowl. If everything seems to be in good shape, go ahead and add about six drops of food coloring into the tank. Wait 30 minutes and then peak at the bowl. If the bowl is uncolored, you’re fine. If the food coloring appears in the bowl, you may have a leak and should call a plumbing expert. 

•       Don’t neglect your water heater maintenance 

If something foul seems to be drifting up through any of the drains in your home, it could be a sign that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly running drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Check to make sure there are strains installed in all your drains to avoid hair and other waste from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. Once you’ve treated them with a common drain cleaner, pour four quarts of water into drains that are not used often. This will fill the trap and help to avoid odors from getting in and smelling up your home. 

Your water heater takes good care of you so make sure you’re returning the favor. Keep in mind that newer water heaters have a higher efficiency, so if yours is more than 15 years old, it is probably about time to invest in a new one in order to ensure you don’t have that unexpected burst of cold water for a week. Whether or not you plan on investing in a new water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it working properly. 

Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help lower your energy consumption (and help lower your bills) while also preventing scalding. For safety sake, you will want to remove anything from around the water heater. Your annual Plumbing PLUS Maintenance plan includes a water heater maintenance; and it may actually help your water heater be more efficient and avoid plumbing problems in the future. 

These are just a few ways of how you can help get your plumbing springtime-ready, but if you are not comfortable performing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call Air Engineers Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your yearly plumbing maintenance and repair (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.