What Is Plumbing Maintenance and Why It’s Essential in Spring in Stillwater, OK

04/25/2024

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Did you know that plumbing problems are among the top ten problems people face with their homes? If you own a home, you’ve likely been there.

But did you also know that you can prevent many plumbing issues? It’s true; plumbing preventative maintenance helps you prevent problems through updates and repairs.

Preventative maintenance tasks help you avoid headaches and stress. These tasks also help you save money.

Here is a guide to help you learn more about plumbing preventative maintenance in Stillwater, OK.

Top Benefits of Plumbing Preventative Maintenance

As mentioned, you can save money and avoid headaches through plumbing maintenance. Here are some of the ways you can benefit from routine maintenance:

Avoid Plumbing Emergencies

Unaddressed plumbing problems may lead to emergencies. Imagine if you have trouble getting enough hot water in your showers.

Ignoring this issue might result in no hot water, as the issue is likely a faulty water heater. If you lose all your hot water, you’ll have a plumbing emergency on your hands.

Prevent Home Damage

Unaddressed plumbing issues can also lead to home damage. For example, if you ignore a leaky faucet for too long, it could lead to water damage. Hiring a local plumber to maintain the system helps prevent damage.

Save Money on Costly Repairs

Fixing a plumbing problem is almost always more costly than maintaining the system. Consider your furnace. You get an HVAC tune-up yearly to ensure it works well; a plumbing tune-up helps your plumbing work well.

How to Protect the Plumbing System Yourself

Of course, there are things you can do to keep your plumbing system working well. Here are a few steps you can take to protect your system.

The first thing is to cover your drains with screens. For example, place screens on your shower drains. These prevent hair and soap scrum from entering the drains, keeping the lines clear.

In addition, never place inappropriate things in your drains. For example, don’t put grease in your garbage disposal. Grease hardens and clogs pipes.

Secondly, address all plumbing repairs quickly. If you experience leaks or faulty fixtures, call a plumber right away. Ignoring the issues won’t make them disappear; they’ll only worsen.

Finally, learn about the common plumbing problems homeowners face. For example, a common winter problem is frozen pipes. You can prevent this by insulating exposed plumbing pipes.

There are also numerous plumbing maintenance tasks to address in the spring. For example, you may need to test all your outdoor spigots to ensure they work properly and are without leaks.

Steps a Plumber Performs

Keeping an eye on your plumbing system helps you prevent plumbing problems. However, hiring a plumber for home plumbing maintenance is also necessary to prevent issues.

Plumbers perform multiple steps during a routine maintenance service call, including the following:

Check Drain Quality

Plumbers inspect drains to see how well they function. They test the speed, as testing this quality helps them find potential clogs. If your drains are not draining as quickly as possible, they may need to be cleaned.

Cleaning the drains can help you prevent clogged lines. A plumber can test every drain in your home. If all the drains have issues, the plumber will check the main sewer line, as it might have something trapped inside.

Inspect Fixtures for Leaks

Plumbing care also includes inspecting every fixture for leaks. Plumbers can find major leaks by doing this, but even minor leaks are concerning.

The first place they’ll check is underneath the sinks. They’ll also look near the toilets. Additionally, they’ll look at your walls and ceilings for water spots.

Leak Detection

When plumbers suspect leaks inside hidden places, such as walls, they can use leak-detection equipment. This equipment finds moisture inside the walls, which might come from a broken pipe.

Finding hidden leaks requires special equipment. Therefore, this is not something you can do. However, it’s an important step as leaking water leads to many issues, including water damage.

Cleans the Water Heater

Plumbing maintenance includes a water heater inspection. The plumber will look for leaks and may drain the system to clean it.

Your water heater needs cleaning services routinely, especially if you have hard water. Hard water can cause sediment buildup in the bottom of the device. If left too long, it can damage the system’s components.

If the heater is reaching the end of its useful life, they might suggest plumbing installation for a new one.

Look for Exposed Pipes

When plumbers inspect systems in the spring, they won’t look for exposed pipes, as this risk isn’t present in the warm months. They perform this step in the fall or winter.

Exposed pipes are at risk of freezing during the winter. If you have these, the plumber might suggest moving or insulating them. These steps can prevent a frozen and broken pipe in the winter.

Inspects Drainage/Sewer System

Finally, the plumber will inspect your drainage system (sewer system). This system eliminates and processes all the wastewater your home produces. It transports the waste from your home and into a tank or piping system.

They will check your septic tank, if you have one, to see if it’s full. They’ll inspect the ground leading from the home to the tank to spot signs of leaks. If they discover an issue, they might refer you to a septic company.

Look for a “plumber near me” to find a plumbing contractor in your area. Then, hire them to perform plumbing maintenance to protect your home’s plumbing system.

Create a Schedule for Preventing Plumbing Issues

Plumbing preventative maintenance protects your plumbing system. Protecting it helps you avoid plumbing nightmares and helps you save money, but you need a schedule.

You can create a schedule for tasks you handle, but you should consider hiring a plumber once or twice a year for plumbing maintenance services.

Advantage Plumbing Heating and Cooling is a full-service plumbing contractor in Oklahoma City, Sapulpa, and Stillwater, OK. We’ve served this community for over 50 years and take pride in doing the work properly the first time.

Reach out to us to learn more.

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