How well do you know your home or commercial facility’s plumbing system? How familiar are you with the correct maintenance practices needed to keep everything up and running? Do you know how old some of the different plumbing components are? All in all, while your plumbing system will usually work correctly most of the time, there are going to be instances where issues arise. Given the daily usage they receive, this should come as no surprise!
Is this your first time visiting our plumbing blog? If so, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. We are a plumbing business located in North Kansas City, MO that offers residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services. With our plumbing blog, we look to provide homeowners and facility managers with advice on how they can better understand and manage their plumbing system. With 2026 right around the corner, this week’s blog post will provide you with a few things worth considering (in regards to your plumbing system) for the new year.
Before we talk about how you can manage your plumbing system like a pro in 2026, we would like to provide a link where you can reach out to our team in case you live near KC and need plumbing help. HERE is our website contact form that you’re welcome to fill out!
Manage Your Plumbing System Like a Pro: Prioritize Maintenance
Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. If you want to limit your odds of a plumbing issue occurring, then maintenance should be something you focus on! It’s something we always encourage our customers to prioritize in order to get the best return on your plumbing investment. After all, who wants to repeatedly spend money on plumbing repairs around the house? Here are a few easy maintenance tasks to complete in 2026:
Flush Your Water Heater – A water heater replacement can be a pricey investment. One maintenance task that can limit the wear and tear on the unit will involve a yearly flush to clear out sediment built up at the bottom of the tank. Keep in mind that, for those who have extremely hard water, you can opt to flush your water heater multiple times a year!
Clean Your Faucets and Showerheads – Speaking of hard water wreaking havoc on one’s plumbing system, your faucets and/or showerheads could be adversely impacted as well. I’m sure you’ve seen the unsightly limescale that can accumulate on these fixtures. Taking the time to properly clear this buildup (with a little vinegar) can work wonders for both the functionality and appearance of these fixtures.
Drain Cleaning – As a plumbing business, it should come as no surprise that drain cleaning is a service we provide quite regularly. No matter if it be a sink drain, shower drain or anything else, clogs can gradually form over time. When discussing drain cleaning, it’s worth noting that this can be both a proactive and a reactive service. It can be a good proactive service in that it can keep everything in working order and provide you with the peace of mind that everything is flowing correctly. It can be a good reactive service in that it’s important to tackle a clog before it escalates into a more serious problem!
While this isn’t a comprehensive list of all plumbing maintenance, these are a couple tasks that anyone should consider adding to their to-do list!
Manage Your Plumbing System Like a Pro: Make the “Right” Improvements
With the growth of the plumbing industry, there truly are so many possibilities available nowadays to pick from. Having said that, when you choose to invest in your plumbing system, you’ll want to consider improvements that will be worth the money spent. Here are a couple to keep in mind for 2026:
Smart Shut-Off – Did you know that “smart technology” has found its ways to the plumbing world? While there are several examples we could list off here, the one we wanted to highlight is a smart water monitor and shut-off. In particular, HERE is a link to Moen’s Flo Smart Water Monitor & Shutoff. Even though these will require an up-front investment, the long-term benefits can be quite appealing! The primary advantage is the ability to remotely shut your water off in the event of a leak. It’s not difficult to see how this could prevent a major emergency from occurring!
Water Softener and/or Filter – Another trendy improvement that we’ve seen become more and more popular are water softeners and/or water filtration systems. Given the presence of hard water here in Kansas City, this isn’t all that surprising. In any case, with so many possible softener and filtration systems out there, it can be a little overwhelming going through the numerous possibilities. Unless you have experience in this industry, it would certainly be a good idea to lean on the expertise of your local plumbing professional when deciding which systems to consider, as well as do some research of your own! One system that has become a fan favorite among many of our clients has been those made by NuvoH2O. While they have systems that solely act as a softener, we’ve found the softener + filter duo system to be quite popular! On the softener side of things, these systems are citrus-based, as opposed to salt-based (which has long been common with many water softeners). Along with that, they are easy to maintain and proven to be effective at treating hard water! Have any questions or are you interested in having one installed? Fill out the form HERE and our team would be happy to provide more details!
All in all, there are countless improvements that can be made to one’s plumbing system, but we wanted to list a couple here that we’ve seen become extremely popular and are also well worth the investment.
Manage Your Plumbing System Like a Pro: Don’t Procrastinate
Especially with smaller plumbing problems, it’s easy to procrastinate on getting them fixed. Whether that be a slow drain, running toilet, dripping faucet or a number of things, how much trouble can these actually cause? Rather than wait for a problem to escalate in severity, make 2026 the year that you tackle plumbing problems right away. You might be surprised by how quickly some of these problems can actually get fixed. By the way, it’s worth noting that plumbing problems aren’t going to magically fix themselves on their own and in most cases, they’ll just end up getting worse!
Have a Local Plumber You Can Count On in 2026?
As a business that offers residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services, our team at Stine-Nichols is committed to serving as a one-stop shop for all things plumbing. No matter if you’re managing the plumbing system for a residential house or a commercial facility, there are definitely several things worth having knowledge of! Throughout this week’s blog post, we’ve covered a few of these items that you’ll want to remember in the new year.
Nonetheless, there is also value in having a local plumbing company that you can count on for any plumbing project. Whether that be a simple repair or a complex project, it’s nice to have a plumber that can get the job knocked out efficiently and effectively! For those who live in or near the Kansas City area and need a go-to plumber, you’re more than welcome to give us a call at (816) 348-3481.