You may already be aware that your heating and air conditioning equipment needs seasonal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but were you aware that you also should have an expert perform your annual plumbing maintenance? San Antonio Air Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for San Antonio homeowners to help them find issues before they become big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance yearly, here are a couple ways to get your home in tip-top plumbing shape for spring.
Check all your faucets and toilets for any leaks. Confirm there is no water dripping out of or around the connections when you shut off your faucets. If there is, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help better the faucet’s function and may even save you money on your water bill.
After the faucets, inspect all accessible pipes for indications of leaks. You can typically find visible pipes below sinks and down in the basement. Sometimes pipes can freeze and then crack so spring is the perfect time to make sure the winter weather didn’t cause any damage or plumbing problems.
- Give your drains some seriously overdue care
Inspect your toilet for any leaks or cracks in both the bowl and tank. If your toilet seems to be in good shape, go ahead and pour about six drops of food dye into the tank. Wait 30 minutes and then look at the bowl. If the water in the bowl is clear, you’re good to go. If the color appears in the bowl, you could have a leak and will want to call a plumbing expert.
- Remember your water heater maintenance
If an unpleasant odor seems to be drifting up through any of the drains in your home, it might be an indication that plumbing maintenance is necessary. A properly functioning drain shouldn’t release a stench into the air. Confirm there are strains inserted in all your drains to stop hair and other waste from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour four quarts of water into drains that are not used often. This will fill the trap and help to avoid odors from seeping in and smelling up your home.
Your water heater takes excellent care of you so make sure you’re returning the favor. Keep in mind that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it may be about time to invest in a new one in order to ensure you don’t have that sudden burst of cold water for several days. Whether or not you plan on purchasing an upgraded water heater, there are a few things you can do to help keep it running properly.
Check the temperature setting on the water heater and make sure it’s not higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy usage (and help reduce your bills) while also evading scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to relocate anything from around the water heater. Your 12 month Plumbing PLUS Maintenance plan includes a water heater maintenance; and it could even help your water heater run more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems moving forward.
These are just some ways of how you can help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not comfortable completing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call San Antonio Air Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your annual plumbing maintenance and fix (or help stop) any plumbing problems.