Plumbing Maintenance Checklist

As a  homeowner, keeping up with home maintenance can sometimes feel like a full-time job.  There are many things that need to be done to a home in order to keep it running smoothly.  Plumbing is just one of the many aspects of your home that you have to keep  up throughout the year.  this checklist will help you look for potential plumbing problems that should be addressed before t hey become a real issue.  Going line- by-line on the checklist will help you with preventative care and maintenance of your home’s plumbing.

• Look for signs of leaks in exposed pipes, where pipes run through the wall or the foundation of your home.  Signs of a leak include puddles of water and water marks.
• Look for signs of corrosion.  Corrosion of pipes can cause leaks and bad pipe connections if not corrected.
• Check each sink, shower and tub drain for the speed of drainage.  Slow drainage usually indicates a clog in the drain or a blocked vent pipe.  Your drains should have a full swirl when draining.  If bubbles appear when water is draining, this is usually a sign of a problem.
• Check the flushing handle and the inside parts of the toilets.  Flush each toilet to make sure that it is flushing properly.  Check the parts inside the tank of the toilet to see if any parts are broken, rusted, or missing.  make sure the toilet water does not continue to run after flushing and make sure there is no sign of water on the floor around the toilet.
• See if tub, sink or toilet caulking is coming off.
• Push and pull gently on each toilet to see of it rocks or moves.
• You should drain the water heater to remove sediment that may have built up in it.
• Turn off all the faucets in your home to see of there is any water coming out of the handles and valves.
• Check the washing machine hoses to make sure that there aren’t any cracks and that the hoses are not brittle or leaking.  Washing machine leaks are common insurance claims.

By running this checklist on an annual or bi-annual basis, you can check  your home for plumbing problems or potential plumbing problems.  Addressing these problems on a regular basis can help you to prevent the problems from becoming worse, which can save you quite a bit of money in the long run.  Taking a few minutes to inspect your plumbing system is time well spent.