Many homeowners only investigate the wellbeing of their plumbing if something goes wrong. That’s a one-way ticket to costly bills, wasted time, and severe headaches.

Plumbing maintenance can help you monitor the condition of your plumbing and avoid expensive repairs in the future. Our plumbing maintenance checklist will show you which fixtures to check and what to look for to ensure your plumbing is in good condition and avoid unwanted expenses, wasted time, and high stress in the future.

Around The House

There are a few simple checks you can perform to make sure your plumbing is healthy. Every other month, check:

The Water Heater

You’ll need to investigate your water heater to make sure there are no broken pipes or leaks.

Look for visible water leaks. If you have a broken pipe or a leak, you may discover the water is a rusty, brownish color. This is due to dirt infecting the water, which breeds bacteria in abundance. At this point, it’s a health concern, so you need to visually check your water heater every other month to ensure it’s safe and working to its best capacity.

Hose Spigots

Next, make sure all the spigots are running properly. Remember that spigots can develop leaks over time, so staying on top of it is crucial if you want to avoid high bills and water leaks.

Your outdoor hose spigots are elements of plumbing that many people overlook. Don’t make this mistake. If they need repairs, it could be a simple fix of replacing the cartridges or washers. Staying on top of your spigots allows you to avoid a bad leak and an extensive repair.

Washing Machine

This is a simple check that takes only a few minutes. The next time you’re doing laundry, just check that there is no water dripping from your washing machine. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself googling ‘why is there water leaking from my washing machine?’ in a panic.

If there’s water dripping from the bottom of your washing machine, it can cause severe household damage — especially if it’s left until the conditions worsen. Usually, a leaky washing machine is down to a loose or broken drain hose, faulty pump, or an old and exhausted tub-to-pump hose. If checked regularly, any early symptoms of a leaky washing machine can be caught and repaired before it worsens and damages your property.

The Bathroom

Unsurprisingly, many plumbing issues are located in your bathroom. It’s a room that is well-used by the entire family regularly. With such frequent use and increased plumbing installation, the bathroom is a hot spot for plumbing issues. Make sure to look at:

The Faucets

As a whole, it’s generally the bathtub, shower, and sink faucets that need the most attention. They tend to demand replacement more frequently in the bathroom.

Make sure you visually check for any leaks. If the faucets are dripping, you should replace the washers or cartridges.

The difficulty with shower or bathtub plumbing is that the water supply lines are hidden in your walls, making it impossible to spot a leak or broken pipe visually. These leaks can cause severe damage and lead to a very high repair bill. However, there are ways to make sure your water supply lines are functioning well with no problems.

Usually, these kinds of leaks will show themselves in the room directly underneath your bathroom. You can also run the faucets and monitor the water pressure. If it’s weak or has an irregular spraying pattern, there may be calcium build-up on your aerator.

Luckily, this is a relatively easy fix if caught in time. Simply remove your aerator and either replace it or clean it manually by soaking it in vinegar.

The Drains

Blocked drains are all too common in homeowners’ bathrooms. It’s due to the buildup of hair and soap that block the flow inside the drains. Rather than waiting for a blocked drain, which can be spotted simply by watching the water take too long to flow down the plughole, regular plumbing maintenance prevents bad cases of build-up. To do so, simply pour baking soda and vinegar down your drains every month. You can purchase drain unblockers, but this works just as well and you probably already have the ingredients in your cupboards.

The Toilet

A broken toilet is an absolute nightmare - especially if it’s the only one in the house. So many parts need to work in harmony for your toilet to function, so if one goes wrong, the ripple effect takes hold, and you’re left without a working toilet. It’s essential to be aware of any leaks from your toilet. Pay particular attention to the base, ensuring no water is spilling out.

Also, remove the tank lid and flush your toilet every other month or so. If your tank continues to run after flushing, it’s wasting a lot of water. This can lead to sky-high water bills and indicates a problem. Stay on top of it by ensuring your plumbing maintenance checks extend to your toilet.

The Kitchen

Similar to the bathroom, the kitchen also has a large number of plumbing fixtures. Therefore, it’s important to check them regularly to ensure they are functioning correctly with no hidden damage that could cause damage to your property.

The Sink

The kitchen sink is used heavily in all households. From washing up to draining food, the sink takes a lot of wear and tear in any home.That’s why it’s so important to check your sink’s wellbeing every other month.

Make sure water is draining effectively with no buildup. There’s likely a buildup if the water takes too long to flow down the plug.

To avoid this, take some time to clean out the sinkhole with baking soda and vinegar, just as you would with your bathtub and shower drains.

The Faucet

Faucets that leak and drip are the most common plumbing repair of them all. And while it doesn’t look like a massive problem if not investigated, a leaky kitchen faucet can waste a tremendous amount of water, which will show up on your water bills.

Check that there are no leaks, observing your faucet as you move the lever. Then, if it needs it, replace your faucet, as you’ll be saving a whole lot of money by replacing rather than waiting for it to impact your bills.

The Garbage Disposal

If there’s a problem with your garbage disposal, chances are there’s a faulty drain connection between the dishwasher discharge and the disposal or the disposal discharge to the sink drain. Either way, this can be spotted early on to prevent severe cases.

Simply run the water and power up your garbage disposal. Then check under the sink for any leaks or spills. Do this every other month to keep on top of it and spot any problems early on before they develop.

The Dishwasher

Finally, on our plumbing maintenance checklist: the dishwasher. Set aside a few minutes to watch and listen to your dishwasher in action. If the dishwasher fills too slowly, there’s likely a problem with your water supply hose or the valve that controls it.

If it’s draining too slowly or there’s remaining water in the bottom of the dishwasher after the cycle has finished, take a look at your water discharge hose to ensure there are no blocks.

Performing routine plumbing maintenance can save you time, money, and stress. If you need plumbing repair in North Valley, call the ProSkill Services experts at (623) 551-7473.