Winter weather means that spring is right around the corner, which is the perfect time to turn a critical eye to your house and figure out what needs to be repaired or improved. There are several things that you can do to ward off plumbing issues on your property, so read on for more details.
In any room where you have a sink, make sure to inspect to see if there are any leaks. Obviously, if you notice something, take care of it right away. In addition, make sure that the water is going down the drains properly. If you have hair or other debris clogging things up, clear it out so that everything works as it should. In addition, don’t forget about leaks that could be occurring in your toilet. An easy way to check and see if there is an issue is to put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. You will see color appear in the bowl shortly after if water is dripping.
Take a look at your water heater to make sure that the temperature is set correctly. It should be 120 degrees or lower in order to save energy. Also, if your water heater is nearing two decades of use, a replacement may be necessary. While you would have to incur an initial expense, most models today are quite a bit more energy efficient than those from the past.
Check over both your dishwasher and your washing machine to make sure they are not leaking. The hoses on these appliances do not last forever, so if you know that they are more than ten years old (or if they just seem to be on the verge of breaking), replace them. Shop for something that has stainless steel, as these products are generally stronger and not as susceptible to breakage.
If you have a sump pump on your property, it is a good idea to dump some water into it to ensure that it is functioning correctly. When you do this, the pump should immediately come to life, get rid of the water and then shut back down again. If not, you know there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Also, if you feel there might be an undiscovered leak in your house, take a look at your water meter one evening. When you get up in the morning, and before you use any water, look at the meter again. If something is different, you know you need to do a little more investigating. Finally, put up a few flood alarms. These devices are quite a bit like smoke alarms in that they operate on a battery and will sound an alarm when there is an issue; in this case, the flood alarm will go off when it touches water. These alarms give you a heads up regarding any leaks or flooding in your house.
As spring approaches, many people begin thinking of what they can do to fix up their houses a little bit. The plumbing tips included in the article above will give you a hand as you seek to improve the functionality of your property and appliances.
