There are so many different aspects of a home’s plumbing, including sinks, toilets, drains, washers, dishwashers, central heating systems, boilers, and radiators. It’s a long list and one problem can quickly become a huge, expensive mess. While routine plumbing maintenance won’t prevent every problem, it does help homeowners to locate issues that could cause difficulties in the future. You can’t just expect your home’s plumbing system to operate flawlessly all the time without regular maintenance checks. Below, you’ll find plumbing maintenance tips that you can do to see if there is something that needs to be addressed with an appointment with a local plumber:

– Leaks are one of the easier problems to deal with, but can also cause thousands of dollars in water damage. Examine the floors, walls, and ceilings where you know there are water pipes. Watermarks can be quite easy to spot, but if it is found in a wall or a ceiling, the leak could have been present for some time.

– Corrosion on pipes can end up causing leaks, so look for green stains around copper and brass fittings and orange or yellow stains on older steel pipes. These pipes need to be replaced before they burst. The shutoff valves are often where a lot of corrosion occurs, so check this area carefully.

– Check to see how quickly each drain in your home drains. That means every sink, tub, and shower. There should be a full swirl of water when draining. If there are bubbles when draining a sink or tub, there is likely to be a blockage building.

– For the toilets, look for any signs of leaks. Check the toilet tank by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If you can see the coloring in the bowl without flushing, then you need to call a local plumber to replace your tank. You should also see if the toilet moves back and forth. If so, contact a plumber to correct the problem as it could end up leading to leaks underneath the floor.

– Central heating systems and boiler maintenance checks should be left to the professionals. Most plumbing companies will tell you to schedule an appointment when the weather is warm, as you will get faster service this way. These types of appointments can prevent many of the problems people encounter when turning their heating system on for the first time in the cold season.

Regular inspection and maintenance is a great way to avoid plumbing problems. Inspect every component carefully and make necessary repairs and replacements. You can perform monthly or yearly maintenance activities if you have proper tools and skills. In case you do not have experience and tools to inspect different installations and fixtures, you should get professional attention. As soon as you are aware of an issue, have it resolved immediately. When it comes to plumbing, small problems can turn into big ones, overnight. And the bigger the problem, the more costly and invasive it is to have it repaired.

 

For more information, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other towns in New Jersey, such as Parsippany, East Hanover and Denville.