How Often Does Plumbing Need Maintenance?
Modern plumbing has transformed hygiene, health and comfort throughout the world. Within your home maintaining the plumbing system avoids serious and expensive repairs. The plumbing system throughout your home includes delivery pipes, drain pipes, fixtures and a number of appliances. Frequent plumbing maintenance using our simple guide helps prevent emergency repair and allows you to schedule plumbing maintenance to your Fort Wayne area home on your own schedule.
Daily Checklist
Monitoring your system is the first step in maintenance. This includes following common sense maintenance including:
Monitoring Drains
The most common plumbing service call involves clogged drains. When drain pipes are properly maintained the main sewer line is less likely to require maintenance and repair from professional experts.
Kitchen sinks: The first step is to pay attention to what goes down your drain. Food waste is the primary cause of clogs in kitchens. While garbage disposals are extremely helpful in reducing the size of food waste entering drain pipes, removing the bulk of food waste into trash cans and compost bins is advised. Furthermore, there are certain materials that should never be put down kitchen drains, even with a garbage disposal.
Specifically, coffee grounds, cooking oils, fruit pits, pasta, rice and eggshells should never go down the kitchen drain. These materials cause different issues with drain pipes and disposals. The best rule is to minimize the amount of food waste entering drain pipes. After using a garbage disposal, running cold water for 15-30 seconds is recommended.
Bathrooms: Excess waste in your kitchen sink, tubs, showers and toilets poses another issue. Common liquids flow through drain pipes, but clogs form when excessive soap scum, hair and other materials pollute the pipes. More frequent plumbing maintenance avoids these issues.
Like kitchen sinks, tossing solid waste into trash cans, rather than down the drain, is important. Choosing low-corrosive cleaners for toilets, showers, tubs and sinks protects pipes. Cleaning with vinegar and baking soda is less abrasive on many surfaces and is often just as effective. If you notice a slow drain, contacting a professional plumber early is the best idea. Plumbers have the proper tools to safely and quickly clear clogs and blockages. The wrong tool and highly-corrosive liquid and gel cleaners can do damage to pipes.
Laundry: Many homeowners overlook maintenance of laundry machines and utility sinks. Excessive use of detergents, dirt and infrequent maintenance may leave drain lines clogged and washing machines damaged. Make sure to use the recommended amount of laundry detergent by reading labels. Many clogs may be avoided by reducing soap and cleaning your appliances according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Weekly Checklist
Many issues begin as minor problems. While a thorough inspection of your entire system is helpful, you can check most of your home’s plumbing system during your regular cleaning schedule.
Most homeowners stock cleaning supplies under sinks. Check these areas and all other sinks for signs of moisture weekly. When cleaning your fixtures, inspect for the buildup of moisture, including mineral deposits. Watch drains to make sure water is draining properly. Clean washing machines and dishwashers according to manufacturer recommendations. Your owner’s manual will feature a schedule and method for cleaning.
Mops, brooms and other supplies are commonly stored near utilities like your water heater and furnace. A simple glance at these appliances once a week checks for leaks or other indications of plumbing issues.
Regularly
A primary source of water waste is underground pipes, sprinkler heads and leaky faucets. Monitoring faucets especially outdoor spigots should be done regularly. Clean all outdoor fixtures and seasonally maintain any lawn irrigation equipment and hoses. Covering and disconnecting outdoor spigots helps protect the function and prevent freezing issues.
Plumbing appliances include owners manuals and many of these have simple instructions for cleaning and checking functions. Sump pump maintenance includes testing, cleaning and checking for worn parts. Water softener maintenance includes cleaning and checking connections. Making a to-do list and setting reminders prevents a lot of plumbing emergency calls.
Annually
For homeowners, there are simply some issues that fall out of their comfort zones. Scheduling a complete and thorough plumbing inspection provides peace of mind. While daily, weekly and seasonal chores should never be overlooked, professional plumbers know the intricacies of plumbing systems.
Our local plumbers also know the unique challenges of Fort Wayne homes. Scheduling regular maintenance with our team gives you a resource to help protect your plumbing systems and check for possible issues. We can identify hidden leaks, potential issues like tree roots and sediment buildup, assist with improving water pressure, and prevent issues with your sewer or septic system.
When to Call on Redman Services for Professional Plumbing Maintenance
For new homeowners forming a relationship with a plumbing company is important. During maintenance and inspection, our team advises of impending repair issues and helps you know troublesome areas that could cause future leaks. This makes preventing emergency issues simpler and helps you plan for new projects.
Even if you have been in your home for many years, Redman Services is committed to the welfare of our neighbors. We act as your Home Service Hero protecting your home against unexpected expenses and risks to your family. We provide comprehensive services including plumbing, heating and cooling.
When you contact our team we help you form a barrier against the elements and unwelcome financial strain. Contact our team to schedule maintenance of your plumbing system and any other home services you need.