Spring is here, and we all know that means it’s time to spring clean your home. Most people are busy dusting their house, doing maintenance on their HVAC, and getting rid of clutter. It’s easy to forget that your plumbing could benefit from some spring cleaning too! Here are a few tips on how to get started cleaning your plumbing and getting your home ready for the new season.
Kitchen & Bathrooms
Your kitchen and bathrooms are probably the most used plumbing in your entire house. It’s important to regularly check these rooms for signs of plumbing problems so you can prevent a disaster from happening. Here are some things to look for:
- Drips or leaks from all faucets
- Make sure every drain has a strainer to prevent clogging
- Add food coloring to your toilet tank to see if there’s a hidden leak (if the color goes into your toilet bowl, that means you’ve got a leak)
- Ensure all toilets are flushing properly—there should be no need to hold or jiggle the handle!
- Clean your showerhead to get rid of mineral deposits
Appliances
Your home appliances are often out of sight and out of mind. There’s no better time than during your spring cleaning to check your appliances and make sure they’re working properly.
- Make sure the temperature on your water heater is no higher than 120 degrees.
- Flush out corrosion that causes sediment build-up by carefully draining several gallons from the water heater tank.
- Consider replacing your water heater if it’s more than fifteen years old. Newer models are less prone to repairs and are more efficient.
- Check all supply hoses to your appliances such as the dishwasher, washing machine, and ice maker. If a hose is bulging, leaking, or more than ten years old, consider replacing it.
Outside
Your plumbing isn’t just on the inside of your house, you need to spring clean the outside parts of your plumbing system as well! Especially if you’ve not paid much attention to the outside of your house in the winter months, the springtime is the perfect opportunity to clean up and maintain the outside of your home.
- Clean out any dirt and debris from your drains, gutters, and downspouts
- Make sure there are no blockages like birds’ nests in any of your plumbing vent pipes
- Run your outdoor faucets and hose bibs to make sure water flows freely and that there’s no dripping, or leaking from a frozen pipe that may have burst over the winter.
During your spring cleaning, you may find that some of your appliances, pipes or drains need to be serviced. The expert technicians at Service Plus Heating, Cooling & Plumbing are here to help you with all of your plumbing needs. Give us a call at (317) 434-2627 to schedule a service today.