The Expert’s Guide to Spring Plumbing Maintenance

You may already understand that your heating and AC equipment needs seasonal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also should have an expert perform your annual plumbing maintenance? Pardee Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Charleston homeowners to help them uncover issues before they turn into big problems. While you should always call for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance every year, here are three ways you can get your home in tip-top plumbing shape for spring.

Look at all your faucets and toilets for any leaks. When you turn off your faucets check around the connections for water dripping out; if there is, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help boost the faucet’s performance and may even save you money on your water bill.

After the faucets, inspect any accessible pipes for indications of leaks. You can usually find visible pipes in the basement and under sinks. Extreme weather can cause pipes to freeze and sometimes crack so spring is the ideal time to make sure the winter weather didn’t cause any damage that would result in plumbing problems.

Inspect your toilet for any cracks or leaks in the bowl and the tank. If it looks like it’s in good shape, go ahead and put about six drops of food coloring into the actual tank. Wait 30 minutes and then peak at the bowl. If the bowl is clear, you’re in the clear. If the food coloring appears in the bowl, you possibly have a leak and should call a plumbing expert.

If a stench seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it might be evidence that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly running drain shouldn’t release smells into the air. Confirm there are strains installed in all your drains to prevent hair and other debris from spoiling in the pipes and causing them to clog. Once you’ve treated them with a common drain cleaner, pour a gallon of water down drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to avoid odors from getting in and smelling up your home.

Your water heater takes great care of you so ensure you’re returning the love. Remember that newer water heaters are going to be more energy efficient, so if yours is older than 15 years, it could be time to purchase a new one to be sure you don’t have that unpredicted burst of cold water for multiple days. Regardless if you plan on replacing your water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it functioning properly.

Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy usage (and help reduce your bills) while also avoiding scalding. For safety sake, you will want to move away any items from around the water heater. Your yearly Plumbing PLUS Maintenance agreement includes a water heater maintenance; and it may actually help your water heater run more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems from happening.

These are just some ways of how you could help get your plumbing ready for spring, but if you are not comfortable completing any of these tasks, you are welcome to call Pardee Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and we can come out and complete your yearly plumbing maintenance and repair (or help avoid) any plumbing problems.