When it comes to your plumbing system, I think many would agree that there are a few common goals that most homeowners would like to achieve. What might these goals be? For one, making sure that your plumbing system operates consistently and in a reliable manner is definitely a common objective. After all, when you turn on a faucet, you expect steady water pressure. When you turn on the water for the shower or bathtub, you expect there to be hot water. Those are no-brainers, right? To sum it up, this goal is all about a functioning plumbing system. The second common goal though is about getting the best return on your investment when it comes to anything plumbing-related. Most homeowners would probably prefer to use their money elsewhere rather than constant plumbing repairs.
Having said all of that, we can now bring up the topic of this week’s blog post. As evidenced above, one of the main plumbing goals for homeowners is going to be limiting the number of plumbing issues throughout the year. That will go a long way in achieving a solid return on your plumbing investment. Aside from purchasing fixtures made by established brands and having experienced professionals complete any plumbing repairs/installations, how can you avoid any issues from arising? Well…as we’ve mentioned many times before on our plumbing blog, routine maintenance is one of the most effective strategies for limiting plumbing problems. Throughout this blog post, we’ll discuss a few different plumbing maintenance tasks that any homeowner can implement immediately. Let’s discuss why plumbing maintenance is always recommended!
Flush Your Water Heater
Given that the water heater is a plumbing fixture that is used quite often and also can require an investment to replace, it should come as no surprise that they’re mentioned fairly frequently on our plumbing blog. Our first recommended plumbing maintenance task is to flush your water heater. Generally speaking, doing so on a yearly basis is a good idea! The importance of a water heater flush can largely be boiled down to hard water and its impact on your plumbing system. Because of hard water, mineral build-up can accumulate at the bottom of your water heater tank. This forces the heater to work harder to perform its normal responsibilities, thus increasing the wear and tear on the actual unit. By flushing the heater on a routine basis, you can limit the toll it takes on your water heater. So…when compiling your plumbing maintenance guide, make sure to add a water heater flush!
By the way, keep in mind that tankless water heaters also require flushing! Especially since they require a more expensive up-front cost, you’ll definitely want to keep them in working order to ensure a solid return on your investment.
Test Your Sump Pump
The next item on our plumbing maintenance agenda is your sump pump. While not every home necessarily has a sump pump installed, they can definitely be an important part of your overall plumbing system. While they are certainly useful, there is a maintenance component to ensure they’re ready to go when needed. What does this involve? Well, first things first, you’re going to want to test your sump pump out from time-to-time. Fortunately, doing so is pretty easy! All you’ll need to do is pour a few gallons of water into the pit and make sure it kicks on as it should. Then you’ll want to confirm that the water successfully goes through the discharge line and leads away from the home’s foundation outside. If everything works like normal, you’re in great shape! On a separate note, if you don’t already have a battery back-up installed, it would be wise to do so in the event that your power went out during a storm!
While testing out your sump pump is arguably the most important maintenance task, it isn’t the only one in relation to your sump pump. You’ll also want to remove any debris that may accumulate in the sump pump pit, make sure the sump pump is standing up correctly and even consider insulating your discharge line if you’ve experienced frozen pipes before.
Clean Faucets and Showerheads
Thus far in this blog post, we’ve discussed a couple of important plumbing components with your sump pump and water heater. Each serves a unique importance and are certainly items you want to keep in working order. Next on our list are two more that you’ll likely find yourself using on a daily basis, with those being the faucets and showerheads. While these won’t require as large of an investment as something like a water heater, you also don’t want to find yourself replacing faucets on a consistent basis (unless of course, you’re simply looking for an aesthetic boost in the kitchen or bathroom!). When it comes to maintenance with your faucets and showerheads, the main item is going to involve cleaning them. After all, particularly with the faucets, you want them to function properly and look professional too, right? In terms of cleaning and maintenance, the main trouble area is tied to hard water and the calcium deposits that can impact these plumbing fixtures. These can build up over time and clog up the fixture’s aerators. Luckily, by soaking the aerators in some vinegar, you can eliminate this and restore them to ideal performance levels.
As a side note, since appearance affects how you manage and maintain your faucets, you’ll also want to add regular cleaning of the actual faucet. Particularly with certain finishes, like chrome, that are more susceptible to water spots and fingerprints, you’ll want to clean the faucets themselves to keep them looking top-notch!
Don’t Procrastinate on Plumbing Repairs
Each of the sections above have highlighted a specific plumbing fixture/component. However, with this final part, we will simply highlight why it is so important to avoid procrastinating on plumbing repairs. In many cases, the longer a plumbing issue sits, the worse it can end up getting. Conversely, even if the issue doesn’t escalate in severity, it can lead to other negatives, such as higher water bills. With that in mind, what are a few plumbing repairs that are easy to put on the backburner?
Running Toilet – Although it may not seem like a huge issue at the time, it’s worth noting that a running toilet is wasting water. Because of that alone, we always recommend getting the running toilet fixed sooner rather than later. Fortunately, by knowing what all is included in the toilet’s tank, you can quickly troubleshoot this issue and figure out where the problem resides. A common cause of the running toilet is a faulty flapper, which is certainly an inexpensive repair.
Slow Drains – Whether it be the kitchen sink, bathtub or any other drain, there is going to be the chance of the drains starting to run slower than normal. From soap scum, hair, debris, food particles and so on, clogs can start to accumulate. Failure to take action can only result in these clogs and blockages continuing to get worse. If you start to notice any drains running much slower than normal, consider having a plumber out for drain cleaning.
In the end, it goes without saying that your plumbing system is composed of several different components. Managing this system can be a challenge. However, with some simple maintenance tasks, you can definitely keep everything running properly for the most part! While this blog post doesn’t cover every single plumbing maintenance task, it does cover a few of the more noteworthy items.
Have Any Plumbing Maintenance Questions? Call the Team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing!
As a homeowner, chances are plumbing isn’t always something you regularly think about. While it is used each and every day, until an issue actually arises, it’s easy to procrastinate on maintenance-related tasks. Throughout this blog post, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite plumbing maintenance to-do’s. Each of these serves a unique purpose and will help prevent any avoidable plumbing issues. Remember that some plumbing problems will pop up simply from regular wear and tear. However, by properly maintaining your plumbing system, you can at least limit the odds of them occurring and have the best return on your plumbing investment.
Have any questions about plumbing maintenance? Do you need help with an upcoming plumbing project? Our team of experienced plumbing technicians provide residential, commercial and new construction services throughout the Kansas City area. To learn more and speak with a member of our team, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481.