Seasonal Plumbing Maintenance Tips for Spring

“Spring Cleaning” is for much more than moving the furniture and airing out the drapes. Oak Plumbing provides these Spring maintenance tips to help protect you plumbing problems.

Bathrooms and Kitchens
• Turn the water valves beneath sinks and toilets on and off a few times to prevent them from sticking.
• Double-check that toilets flush properly. If the toilet handle jiggled held down to stop the water from running you may need to replace worn tank parts. Call Oak Plumbing for an evaluation.
• Clean mineral deposits from shower head. Vinegar is a good home remedy for cleaning. Soak overnight then gently scrub with an old toothbrush to remove deposits.
• Look for drips or leaks from pipes and faucets. Make repairs to save water.
• Be sure that all drains have strainers to prevent debris from clogging the drain lines.
• Check toilets for hidden leaks. Add some food coloring to the toilet tank. If there is a leak, color will appear in the bowl in about 30 or 40 minutes. If that happens, call Oak Plumbing to schedule an appointment.
Appliances
• Check the temperature setting on the water heater. It should be set no higher than 120°F to prevent scalding and reduce energy use.
• When you have your annual maintenance performed on your water heater, that will flush out corrosion causing sediment, which reduces heating efficiency and shortens the life of the heater. You might want to get on an annual maintenance plan (click here).
• Think about replacing a water heater more than 15 years old. (The first four numbers of the serial number represent the month and year it was made.) Newer water heaters are more energy efficient.
• Hoses connected to the dishwasher, washing machine and ice maker should be checked for leaks or bulges. Call Oak Plumbing to replace hoses that showing signs of damage, or that are older than ten years.
General
• Do you have a sump pump? Make sure it operates properly by pouring a few buckets of water into the sump pit. The sump pump should quickly turn on, discharge the water then shut off without any problems.
• Install a backflow valve in the floor drain if you live in an area where sewers sometimes backup into homes. This device will prevent future backups.
• Inspect for slow leaks in your home by taking a reading on your water meter before bedtime. The next morning, without using any water overnight, take another reading. If the reading has changed you have a leak that should be repaired.
• Pour a gallon of water into infrequently used drains (including floor drains) to fill the trap and prevent odors from entering the house. Slow floor drains should be snaked to ensure they will carry away water quickly in the event of a flood.
• Check exposed pipes under sinks and in the basement for signs of leaks.
Install flood alarms. Like a smoke alarm, a flood alarm is a battery-operated device that sounds an alarm when it comes in contact with water. It alerts you to potential flooding or leaks.
Outside
• Check faucets and hose bibs to make sure water flows freely. If an outdoor faucet drips or if there is leakage inside your home the first time the hose is turned on, you may have had a frozen pipe that cracked and needs to be replaced.
• Check to see that yard drains, gutters and downspouts are cleaned out, open, and free of debris.

Being on an annual maintenance plan can save you the time and trouble or worrying about many of these things. An Oak Plumbing Club Membership is plumbing security for your home (click here). For only pennies a day, you can help prevent costly and annoying plumbing problems. With a membership, you become a high profile client with priority response from our expert plumbers for any plumbing need. Call today: (877) 959-7030. Please remember to “Like” us on Facebook (click here) and follow us on Twitter (click here).

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