You may already be aware that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs seasonal 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 Denver homeowners to help them find issues before they become big problems. While you should always call for plumbing problems and arrange for your plumbing maintenance annually, here are a few ways to get your home in great plumbing shape for spring.
- Verify any plumbing leaks
Look at your home’s 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, replacing the fixtures or repairing the leak could help better the faucet’s function and may even save you money on your water bill.
In addition to faucets, scan any exposed pipes for signs of leaks. You can typically access 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 seriously overdue TLC
Inspect your toilet for any leaks or cracks in the bowl and the tank. If it seems to be in good shape, go ahead and pour about six drops of food color into the tank. Wait half an hour and then check the bowl. If the water in the bowl is uncolored, you’re good to go. If the dye appears in the bowl, you could have a leak and need to call a plumbing expert.
- Remember your water heater maintenance
If a stench seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it 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 inserted in all your drains to prevent hair and other debris from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. Following treatment with a common drain cleaner, pour four quarts of water through drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to stop odors from seeping in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes excellent care of you so ensure you’re returning the favor. Don’t forget that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it could be time to start looking into a new one to be sure 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 a few 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 decrease your energy consumption (and help decrease your bills) while also avoiding scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to remove anything from around the water heater. Your annual Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it may even help your water heater be more efficient and avoid plumbing problems in the future.
These are just some ways of how to help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not comfortable performing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and we can come out and perform your yearly plumbing maintenance and fix (or help prevent) any plumbing problems.