If you’re anything like us, your new year’s resolution was to take even better care of your home plumbing than you did last year. There’s always room to improve, even if you’re a plumber like us, right? Right! That’s why we put together this extensive checklist of things you should take a look at each year so you’ll be able diagnose potential problems before they become needlessly expensive and destructive.
Feel free to print it off and keep it with your other home maintenance paperwork so you’re ready to check off the boxes as you go.
Annual Maintenance Checklist
- Keep your gutters clean and clear from debris, leaves, or sludge.
- Clean out the p-traps under your sinks in order to protect against worsening clogs.
- Take a look at your shower head. Is it leaking? Is there any new rust that wasn’t there last year? If the answer to either of these is yes, it could be time for a replacement.
- Similarly, check all of your home’s faucets for leaks.
- Check on your dishwasher and laundry machine water connections. Make sure that they’re secure and not leaking or corroded.
- Inspect all of your home’s visible piping. Discolored pipes may have begun to corrode. Corroded pipes should be replaced.
- Run your garbage disposal a few times to make sure it’s still in its best working condition.
- Double check your water heater temperature. If it’s above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, turn it down to 120, which is the optimal temperature for home water use and water heater longevity.
- Flush your water heater tank. Sediment build-up in water heaters can lead to leaks, or more dramatically, burst water heaters. Flushing it once per year to remove that build-up is necessary.
- Check on your toilet. Fiddle with the handle, check on the flap, make sure the chain is connected properly. All of these small pieces can easily be replaced for optimal performance if you notice any problems.
- Check all your drains for drainage speed. Are any of them draining a little slower than you’d like? Might be time to get them cleaned out.
- Check around all pipe connections for visible mold or musty smells, which are signs of subtle leaks.
Making sure you check all of these potential problem areas at least once per year is going to be your best defense against costly plumbing problems. If any problems do arise, there’s no need to worry, because the professionals at Ben Franklin Plumbing have got your back. Feel free to schedule a helpful preventative service with us online today.