You may already know that your heating and cooling equipment needs seasonal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also require annual plumbing maintenance by an expert? Jack Nelson Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Tulsa homeowners to help them find issues before they turn into big problems. While we recommend calling immediately for plumbing problems and schedule your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are a few ways for you to get your home in great plumbing shape for spring.
- Verify any plumbing leaks
Inspect all your faucets and toilets for any leaks. When you turn off your faucets check around the connections for water dripping out; if there is, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help boost the faucet’s function and may even lower your water bill.
After the faucets, check any exposed pipes for evidence of leaks. You can usually see visible pipes in the basement and under 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 care
Examine your toilet for any cracks or leaks in both the tank and the bowl. If your toilet seems to be in good condition, go ahead and pour about six drops of food dye into the actual tank. Wait half an hour and then look at the bowl. If the bowl is uncolored, you’re in the clear. If the dye appears in the bowl, you possibly have a leak and will want to call a plumbing expert.
- Don’t forget your water heater maintenance
If an unpleasant odor seems to be getting in from any of the drains in your home, it might be an indication that plumbing maintenance is required. 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 remains from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. Following treatment with a common drain cleaner, pour eight pints of water down drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to stop odors from getting in and smelling up your home.
Your water heater takes good care of you so ensure you’re returning the favor. Remember that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it could be time to purchase a new one to help make sure you don’t have that unexpected burst of cold water for a week. Despite whether or not you plan on replacing your water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it working properly.
Make sure the temperature setting on the equipment is not set higher than 120°F. This will help reduce your energy usage (and help lower your bills) while also preventing scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to move away any items from around the water heater. Your 12 month Plumbing PLUS Maintenance plan includes a water heater maintenance; and it could even help your water heater perform more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems in the future.
These are just a few ways of how you could help get your plumbing springtime-ready, but if you are not comfortable completing any of these tasks, always feel free to call Jack Nelson Service Experts and we can come out and complete your seasonal plumbing maintenance and repair (or help prevent) any plumbing problems.