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 require annual plumbing maintenance by an expert? McKinley Heating Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Edmonton homeowners to help them discover issues before they become big problems. While you should definitely call immediately for plumbing problems and plan your plumbing maintenance every year, here are a few ways to 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, replacing the fixtures or repairing the leak could help better the faucet’s performance and may even lower your water bill.
In addition to faucets, examine all accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can often see visible pipes in basements and below sinks. In extreme weather pipes can freeze and crack, so springtime is great to make sure the winter weather didn’t damage anything that could cause plumbing problems.
- Give your drains some long overdue TLC
Check your toilet for any leaks or cracks in both the tank and the bowl. If it appears to be in good shape, go ahead and put about six drops of food dye into the tank. Wait half an hour and then peak at the bowl. If the bowl is clear, you’re fine. 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 a stench seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it could be a sign that plumbing maintenance is required. A properly functioning drain shouldn’t release smells into the air. Verify there are strains installed in all your drains to stop hair and other debris from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour eight pints of water into drains that are not used frequently. This will fill the trap and help to prevent odors from getting in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes good care of you so make sure you’re returning the love. Keep in mind that newer water heaters have a higher efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it is probably about time to invest in a new one in order to ensure you don’t have that sudden burst of cold water for a week. Whether or not you plan on replacing your water heater, there are a couple things you can do to help keep it operating properly.
Verify that the temperature is set no higher than 120°F. This will help decrease your energy use (and help lower your bills) while also evading scalding. As a safety precaution, you will want to relocate anything from around the water heater. Your annual Plumbing PLUS Maintenance plan includes a water heater maintenance; and it could actually help your water heater perform more efficiently and avoid plumbing problems in the future.
These are just a couple ways of how to help get your plumbing ready for the season, but if you are not comfortable completing any of these tasks, please call McKinley Heating Service Experts and we can come out and conduct your seasonal plumbing maintenance and rectify (or help stop) any plumbing problems.