Maintenance Tips
An ounce of prevention will go a long way toward keeping your home’s
plumbing in top working order – and you will avoid costly repairs!
Faucets and Sinks
Faucets and Sinks
- Even small drips can waste thousands of gallons of water, as much as 150 gallons a day! Be sure to check under sinks for moisture or small leaks. Always repair leaky faucets right away to avoid paying for wasted water and damage to your home.
- Remove and clean your faucet aerators annually to ensure an even flow of water.
- Make sure overflow holes on tubs and vanities are clear and open to prevent water damage to floors and ceilings.
- Before doing any maintenance on your water heater yourself, be sure to shut off the thermostat, and read your owner's manual.
- Periodically inspect your water heater burner. The flame under the heater should appear blue with yellow tips. If it’s mostly yellow, or if it’s sooty in the area, your flue may be clogged, which is a dangerous situation. Contact a professional to inspect it.
- At least once every two years have your water heater inspected by a service technician. He or she will also check the drain valve for signs of leakage and the anode rods for corrosion
- Toilet leaks can be wasteful and expensive. At least once a year check your toilet for leaks by adding a small amount of blue food coloring to the tank and then later, check the toilet bowl. If the toilet bowl water is colored blue, water is seeping through from the tank. If it is leaking the seal may need to be replaced.
- To help prevent clogs, fit all your tubs and shower drains with a strainer that catches hair and soap chips. Clean the strainer regularly.
- Do not rinse fats or cooking oils down the kitchen sink. Liquid fats solidify in the cold pipes and create clogs.
- Avoid using caustic liquid drain openers (such as Drano or Liquid Plumber) on a drain that is completely clogged. The caustic ingredients are trapped in your pipes, and it can severely damage the pipes. If you cannot snake the drain yourself, contact a professional to do so.
- You can extend the life of your garbage disposal by using plenty of cold water when running it, make sure you avoid overloading the disposal, never dispose of hard solid food items such as bones or corn husks, never use a caustic drain opener, pour ice cubes in disposal once a month to quiet it and clean around waste table.