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Plumbing maintenance is the easiest way of discovering all your plumbing problems (or assuring yourself that there aren’t any) before they become plumbing disasters. These inspections are quick and painless if all is well, but in case it isn’t, plumbers will fix whatever needs fixing to make sure your home is in top shape.
There are a few major checks every plumber does during home inspections that we’ll run through today, and we’ll also see which specific situations require plumbing maintenance!
Let’s get started!

Preventing Major Plumbing Disasters

The primary purpose of regular plumbing maintenance is to detect plumbing problems as they emerge, before they become a big issue. This entails blocked drains, cracked pipes, which can lead to pipes bursting, leaking taps, roots embedding into sewage and water lines, and inspecting your lines for the cold season.

Cracks are probably the most dangerous issue you’ll face. Although they start out small, they’ll get much bigger with time, and once that small crack develops into a large pipe burst, your entire plumbing system will be taken out of commission. Repairing that much damage is both more expensive and more time-consuming than fixing a small crack, which can easily be found during regular maintenance.

Finding roots in sewer pipes is also fairly common, and just like with cracks, it’s easier to deal with the situation early on. Roots grow into old sewer pipes through cracks or gaps between the concrete and the sewer pipes. If not dealt with early on, roots can completely clog your piping, while the roots growing from the outside, insulating the pipes, are also dangerous because they put pressure on the pipes and can potentially crack them. Fortunately, an early inspection can detect roots and remove them before they become a problem.

If you have leaking taps or toilets, your plumber will pick up on them during maintenance. Although it may not sound like much, a leaky tap or toilet will cost you a lot of money in the long run because it keeps wasting water. A similar thing can be said about blocked drains. They’re probably the most common plumbing issue at first and don’t sound like a big deal, but some drains are clogged so badly that you need professional help in unclogging them, which usually means disassembling your pipes.

Finally, we have winter maintenance, which is especially important for everyone living in a cold climate. Low temperatures can have a terrible impact on your pipes if they’re not insulated. Freezing temperatures will not only completely stop the water flow, but they’re capable of bursting your pipes as well. Insulating your pipes is the most effective way of combating the cold, and if your pipes aren’t insulated, your plumber will see that during the inspection and add protective wrapping on the pipes. They’ll also shut off the outside valve, as you won’t be using the garden hose during the winter and keeping water away from outside pumping is the easiest way to prevent freezing.

All in all, by getting regular maintenance, you’ll ensure that a professional spots early warning signs of major issues and prevents those issues from ever becoming major. This way, you save both money and time on repairs!

How Often Should I Get Plumbing Maintenance?

There’s no need to schedule plumbing maintenance for more than once a year. Different rules apply to industrial compounds and plants. Still, your average home really only needs to be checked up once a year, preferably towards the winter, so your plumber can properly winterize your plumbing. Aside from getting regularly scheduled maintenance once a year, you should book a maintenance appointment if you start experiencing any plumbing problems, such as regularly clogged drains that seem to clog for no reason, low water pressure, no hot water, or if you’re suspecting a leaking pipe. It’d also be smart to schedule a plumbing checkup if your water bills shoot up for seemingly no reason.

There are instances where you should get plumbing more than once a year. For example, if you’re buying a new home, you should have a licensed plumber do an inspection before you put an offer on the table. If you live in an old house, you should get an inspection at least twice a year because old plumbing systems aren’t as durable as modern systems. They used different materials for piping, which may be corrosion-prone or may be easier for roots to penetrate because of the way they were built (they’re often not properly sealed).

Who Can Carry Out Plumbing Maintenance?

You should always get a licensed plumber for plumbing maintenance. Not only do licensed plumbers already have experience with thousands of different plumbing problems, but we also have access to equipment, such as plumbing cameras, which let us see what’s going on inside your plumbing system. That’s something you personally cannot do.

If you’re in need of plumbing maintenance, call us now and let’s schedule an inspection!