Plumbing Maintenance Guide

How to Maintain Your Plumbing For Maximum Efficiency

When it comes to home maintenance, plumbing is one of those things that most people don’t think about until there’s an issue. If your pipes are leaking and leaving puddles of water in your kitchen or bathroom, it's not only an eyesore but also a safety hazard. If your pipes have been neglected for too long or have seen their fair share of wear and tear over the years and are starting to show signs of wear, then it’s time for some preventative plumbing maintenance. 

Even though maintenance is important for all sorts of household appliances, it may not be top of mind when you think about your plumbing. However, it is important you keep your plumbing in good condition, so you don’t end up dealing with a plumbing emergency at some point.

Schedule Plumbing Maintenance

One of the most important things that you can do to keep your plumbing in good working order is to schedule plumbing maintenance. This means you should be scheduling plumbing maintenance every six months, or once a year at the very least. You can do this by scheduling a walk around visual plumbing inspection. You may want to clean out your sewer line, depending on where you live and what kind of perimeter pipe you have. 

If you have a septic tank, you may also want to consider cleaning it out from time to time to make sure that it’s in good shape. Additionally, you can have a plumber come out once a year to do a full inspection, which will give you peace of mind knowing that everything is in good working order and there are no issues with your pipes and drains.

Change Water Filters

Another thing that you can do to maintain your plumbing is to change out your water filter. Depending on where you live, the water source for your home may be coming from a well, or it may be coming from a city supply. For example, if you have a well, then you’ll likely have a well filter installed in your home’s water supply. This filter is there to protect you from harmful bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants that can be found in city water. If you’re using city water and have one of those chlorine filters, then you’ll want to make sure that you change it quite often. If you have a well filter, they need to be changed once a year, but if you have a city filter, then you can usually expect to change them once every four to six months.

Check and Clean Your Pipes

Another important thing that you can do to maintain your plumbing is to check and clean out your pipes. Most people think that they just need to be cleaning their pipes when something clogs it up, but, you should be cleaning your pipes once a year or so. You can clean out sink and tub pipes by either using a pipe cleaning machine or a snake. You’ll want to use it once every three to six months or so. You can clean out your pipes manually, or you can hire a company to do a pipe cleaning for you. If you have a septic tank, then you’ll want to make sure that you check the tank from time to time, and you’ll want to make sure that it’s properly maintained.

Keep a Watchful Eye Out for Leaks

One of the most important things that you can do is to keep an eye out for leaks. If you’re trying to save money on your water bill, then one of the first things that you should do is to make sure that you don’t have a leaky faucet, or a leaking pipe. A lot of times, leaks happen in places where you wouldn’t expect them, such as under your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. If you’re dealing with a high-water bill, then you may want to have a professional come out to your home and check for leaks. If you have a lot of older pipes in your home, then you may want to consider replacing them as soon as possible with what's called a repipe job.

Conclusion

Maintenance is the key to keeping your plumbing in good working order. By regularly cleaning your pipes, changing out your water filter, and checking for leaks, you can make sure that your plumbing system is in good working order and can continue to do its job for years to come.