When it comes to your plumbing, you may think there’s not much to keep up with. As long as everything is working as it should, why would you take the time to maintain your home’s plumbing? The truth is, though, that maintaining the plumbing in your home is just as important as maintaining any other part of your home.
Regular plumbing maintenance helps to protect your pipes and fixtures and helps lessen the chance of a major problem down the road. To ensure you’re making the most of your time, here are four plumbing maintenance tasks you need to do annually.
Flush Your Water Heater
Since your water heater spends most of its time storing the water it has heated, two of its biggest enemies are sediment and corrosion. Fortunately, you can help prevent both by flushing your water heater at least once a year.
Flushing your water heater helps remove any sediments before they have a chance to become permanently attached to your water heater. This helps your unit to operate more efficiently and protects against breakdowns.
Clean Drains
Even if you’re careful about what you put down your drains, there’s still a chance that your drains will begin to back up over time. The best way to prevent your drains from becoming totally clogged is to clean them on an annual basis. You can use chemical drain cleaners, or you can contact plumbing services to use hydro-jetting or another professional method to ensure any potential clogs are gone for good.
Clean Fixtures
The places on your plumbing fixtures where water emerges can become a gathering place for all types of sediment. Over time, this can cause reduced water flow and a negative change in the appearance of your fixtures.
To keep the water flowing free, you should take the time to clean all aerators and nozzles every year. You can use a calcium and lime removal solution applied directly to the fixtures to quickly take care of any buildup.
Inspect Your Sewer Line
A broken sewer line can cause major expenses and major headaches. Unless you have your sewers inspected annually, the only way to find out about a brewing problem is for a major break to take place.
To avoid this scenario, it’s a good idea to have your sewer line inspected with a sewer camera. Though you can rent one of these devices yourself, it’s typically best to let a professional handle the inspection to ensure you don’t do any damage with the camera.
While it’s good to complete these basic maintenance tasks once a year, it’s important to always be on the lookout for potential problems. If you notice unusually high or low pressure, any type of leak, or any other plumbing problem, it’s important that you address it immediately. Staying on top of plumbing issues will help minimize the disruption to your normal routine.