Spring is a great time to check your home’s plumbing systems for problems and to perform preventative maintenance to protect your home against future plumbing malfunctions.
Plumbing Fixtures Checklist
- Check faucets for drips or leaks and repair parts as needed to save water.
- Clean mineral deposits from faucets and shower heads by unscrewing them and soaking them in vinegar overnight.
Appliances
- Check your washing machine hoses for leaks or bulges. You should replace these hoses if they are older than 10 years old. Consider using braided stainless steel hoses rather than rubber hoses.
- Check your toilets for cracks and leaks. Add several drops of food coloring to the tank. You will know there is a leak that needs fixing if color appears in the bowl after 30 minutes. You may need to replace the tank parts if you have to hold down the toilet handle in order to flush properly, or if you have to jiggle it to make it stop running.
- If you have a tank style hot water heater, drain several gallons from the water heater tank to flush out sediment that can cause corrosion and reduce heating efficiency. Tankless water heaters should be flushed to remove mineral deposits. Always check with your water heater manufacturer for specific instructions regarding maintenance of your specific make and model.
Sump Pump
- Test your sump pump. Pour water into the basin and trip the lever to ensure it is still working properly. This will also help you determine if the on/off mechanism has been corroded.
Drains
- When your drains are not properly cleaned, the end result can be a critical blockage, which can lead to serious, irreversible damage to your pipes.
- Our team uses hydro-jet cleaning services for clearing debris from drains and pipes. This involves using high-pressured water jets to remove the blockage from either one drain or the whole drainage system. Hydro-jetting is a form of drain cleaning that is known as being much more powerful and thorough than many traditional drain cleaning methods.
- Sometimes hydro-jetting is not the right approach for your drain’s problem. Luckily, we have all sorts of techniques and methods in our arsenal to fix whatever is troubling your property’s pipes, including rooters. A rooter is a specialized drain-cleaning machine that has its origins in clearing pipes that had become congested due to pressure caused by tree roots wrapped around them. Using a clever construction of steel cables and twisting rotors, a rooter can unclog drains that would otherwise require total replacement.
Kramer and Co. Mechanical can help with all your home plumbing needs.
From fixing leaking faucets to installing new water heaters, one call fixes it all!
479-855-6161
