Regular Plumbing Maintenance Tips for Every Homeowner

Your plumbing system is one of the most important systems inside your home, and not just because it provides you with hot and cold running water. It’s also important because if something goes wrong with it, the result could be disastrous. Flooding causes widespread damage throughout a home, so you must take steps to keep your plumbing system in good working order. Here are a few maintenance tips to help you out.

• Keep an eye out for leaks. It doesn’t take a big leak to cause a serious flooding problem if you don’t take care of it right away. It’s one thing to repair a small leak right away and another thing to have to repair a major leak in addition to all the damage that was caused by flooding from the problem that caused that leak. Of course looking for leaks involves more than just checking the pipes you see on a regular basis. Make sure that you’re also looking at the pipes in the basement and crawl spaces regularly. These pipes are especially vulnerable to damage if they aren’t insulated properly, so make sure there is adequate insulation. If you aren’t sure whether there is enough insulation, contact a plumber to find out.
• Check Exposed Pipes. If you do discover that exposed pipes are not properly insulated, it is fairly easy and inexpensive to take care of the issue. Most hardware stores sell foam tubing that can be installed around pipes. You could even wrap towels around them to keep them warm. Consider also wrapping insulation around your water heater to save energy and money. If you have pipes located to electrical sources, also make sure that they have electrical heating tape insulating them. The tape should be wrapped around any pipes that are located near electrical sources.
• Make sure that trouble areas are waterproofed. Examples of such areas include windows, doors, and vent fans. All of these areas have seals, and if the seals are not tight enough, the plumbing fixtures located near them could be damaged. All it takes is a few minutes to caulk up these areas if the seal isn’t tight. Also take steps to repair broken windows because they can let cold air in as well.
• Have a trusted plumber come check your pipes on a regular basis. It’s not a bad idea to have an inspection done every fall, even if you live in warmer climates where cold weather does not visit very often.

You can’t take too many steps to keep your plumbing system safe. After all, pipes run through all parts of your home, so just a small problem in one area of the system can cause a major problem in the other areas. You can never really expect the unexpected, so it’s always best to plan ahead and protect yourself as much as possible. A quality plumber will be able to help you avert disaster before it strikes, especially if you call at the first sign of a problem.

Call Scott English Plumbing to set up regular maintenance and inspection visits. They’ll make sure that your plumbing system stays in good working order. They also offer 24-hour emergency service and installation and repair for water heaters, toilets and faucets, bathtubs and showers, garbage disposals, and water softeners. They can even do video inspections of your drains and sewers and electronic leak detection. Contact Scott English Plumbing today for great plumbing service at a low, flat rate.