You have many responsibilities as a new homeowner. When you rent, major repairs are for the landlord to worry about. When you own your home, you realize how important preventative maintenance is for preventing breakdowns and costly repairs.
For instance, your plumbing system can cause water damage that’s expensive to restore, and the damage is often preventable with routine maintenance. This guide lists four maintenance tips that prevent plumbing disasters.
- Test for Water Leaks
A dripping faucet is an obvious water leak, but sometimes a leak isn’t easy to detect. A pipe might drip under a slab or behind a wall. One way to discover a leak is to monitor your water meter. Turn off the faucets, dishwasher, and washing machine in your home.
Then, read your water meter to find out if water is still running somewhere. Depending on the meter you have, you might see a dial with an arrow turning that detects even slight water movement. Be certain of a water leak by writing down the numbers on the dial.
Check the reading again in an hour. If the numbers are the same, you don’t have a leak. When the numbers are different, you’ll know you have a leak and how bad it is based on the number of gallons leaked during the hour.
If you can’t find the leak by searching for damp areas in your home, then call a plumber to locate it and make repairs before your home sustains water damage.
- Inspect Hose Attachments
The hoses behind the dishwasher and washing machine are out of sight and easy to forget about. However, if one breaks or comes loose, then it can cause a flood in the laundry room or kitchen. Check the hoses for signs of cracking and wear.
If your machines are old, then they may have rubber hoses that degrade over time. Consider changing the rubber hoses to braided steel hoses so they are more durable and less likely to leak. Also, tighten the connections if they seem loose.
- Check Drains for Leaks and Clogs
Run water in all the drains to make sure they empty quickly. A drain or toilet that’s slow to empty is a sign of a clog in the line somewhere. Tackle the clog while it’s small and easy to dislodge using a plunger or snake. If you can’t get the line to open, then call a plumber before the drain backs up.
Clean hair out of tub and shower drains regularly with a tool you can buy to snag hair and pull it out. This keeps your tub drains flowing and prevents the clog from growing. Also, check drains in spare bathrooms that are rarely used.
Water evaporates from these drain traps and when it does, sewer odors can enter your home. Pouring water down the drain regularly prevents this. Check under the sinks for signs of dampness and musty odors.
Repair leaky drains as soon as possible to keep pests away and prevent water damage.
- Test the Toilet for Leaks
Toilet parts wear down with use and age. Water leaks from the tank to the bowl when that happens. The flapper in the tank should make a tight seal that doesn’t allow water to leak through. Test the seal by dropping food coloring into the tank.
If the colored water shows up in the toilet bowl, then that’s a sign your toilet needs repairs. The flapper might need to be cleaned or replaced. Making repairs when the problem is minor keeps a major leak from developing that could drive up your water bill.
If you need help with plumbing maintenance, then call Custom Comfort Plumbing, Heating & Cooling LLC. We’ll help you pinpoint problems and make repairs so you don’t waste water and risk damage to your home.