The lifespan of a plumbing system depends on several factors, including the quality of the initial installation and how well you maintain the pipes. Performing plumbing maintenance is much more affordable than repairs or spending thousands of dollars to do whole-home repiping. Knowing which tasks you can do is a great first step for helping your system last as long as possible.
Schedule Plumbing Inspections
Professional inspections are essential for plumbing maintenance. We recommend scheduling them annually, ideally during the fall, to help prepare your system for the upcoming holiday season. It’s important to be present during the appointment so we can access all aspects of your plumbing system and ask questions.
During a plumbing appointment, we’ll perform various tasks, such as checking water pressure and looking for leaks and corrosion. We inspect various areas of your system, including sinks, toilets, and your water heater.
Our expert plumbers are skilled at noticing potential signs of trouble and identifying the proper solution to rectify the situation. We’ll recommend either a repair or a replacement. Addressing minor issues sooner rather than later prevents them from becoming severe problems.
Schedule Hydro-Jetting
Hydro-jetting is a type of drain cleaning that involves our plumbers using high-pressure water to remove gunk from the interior of your pipes. This debris causes water to back up, which puts pressure on your pipes and can lead to cracks and other damage. Additionally, stagnant water can lead to pipe corrosion. Other issues can also occur, such as pest infestations, foul odors, and slow-draining water.
We suggest scheduling a drain cleaning at least once a year. Doing it right before the holidays is ideal, as it helps prepare your plumbing system for increased use from guests. A drain cleaning isn’t part of a standard professional inspection. However, it’s possible to request that we do both services at the same time.
Make Prompt Repairs
Problems within your plumbing system don’t improve on their own and typically need professional intervention. When unaddressed, they strain your system, potentially leading to issues like cracks. Once you become aware that your system needs repairs, it’s important to schedule them promptly before the minor issues become severe. If they worsen, it could lead to expensive emergency repairs or replacements.
Perform Self-Inspections
Although regular self-inspections don’t require much time or effort, they can help significantly with extending your system’s lifespan. It’s a good idea to do them weekly, simply walking from room to room of your home and checking for potential issues. This is particularly important in guest rooms, utility closets, and other areas you rarely use. Look for indicators like foul odors, strange sounds, or other abnormal behaviors.
If you notice potential issues with your plumbing system, avoid trying to fix them yourself. This could worsen the situation, such as a leak becoming a burst pipe. Calling us to assess the situation is a much better option, as we have the tools and expertise to handle every type of plumbing scenario.
Monitor What Goes Down the Drains
Many items going down drains should be going into the garbage can. Feminine hygiene items, vegetable scraps, and cooked pasta are a few examples. Cooled and solidified grease, pet kibble, pet hair, and pet fur are some additional items. It may seem like they can easily go down the shower, sink, or toilet drains, but they can form clogs. Taking preventive measures is much easier than handling cracked and leaking pipes.
Don’t Use Harsh Chemicals
Harsh chemicals, such as chemical drain cleaners, can cause significant damage to your plumbing system. For example, they could lead to cracks, leaks, and corrosion. The cost of repairs could end up being much more than if you had initially opted for professional service instead. Our experienced team uses techniques and tools to prevent further damage to your plumbing system while effectively clearing the clog.
Install Smart Water Leak Detectors
Smart water leak detectors are beneficial for many reasons, including helping to extend your system’s lifespan. These small devices go near water-using appliances, sinks, and showers to detect where there’s unwanted moisture. It can be challenging for homeowners to notice these problems, especially if they occur in areas that are rarely used. The detectors do much of the work for you.
Once these detectors detect water, they send a notification to your smartphone alerting you to the problem. You’ll receive the alert even if you’re not on the property. This not only allows you to become aware of an issue but also to take fast action to prevent it from worsening. Leaking water that goes unnoticed could cause severe problems. For instance, it could cause structural damage to your home and ruin any belongings you have in the vicinity. Additionally, a seemingly simple leak could lead to mold damage. Mold growth starts within 24 to 48 hours and can quickly spread.
Both the plumbing pipe crack and the corresponding leak get worse over time. What can start as a small, undetected crack will grow larger, especially if you continue to use the water as normal. Smart water leak detectors prevent this from happening.
Install a Whole-Home Water Softener
Hard water has a high concentration of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. It’s extremely damaging to plumbing systems and your water-using appliances, reducing their lifespan.
If your home has hard water, the mineral buildup called scale can cause problems like corrosion, which eventually leads to leaks and cracks. Every time the water flows through your pipes, the scale builds up on the interior walls. As the buildup gets larger, the diameter of your pipes narrows, which restricts water flow and could result in clogs. Just like in your pipes, scale can also accumulate within your water-using appliances, such as your dishwasher, water heater, and washing machine.
Installing a whole-home water softener makes a significant difference. It transforms your hard water into soft water, eliminating the risk of mineral buildup.
Prevent Pipes From Freezing
Your plumbing pipes are at risk of freezing when the temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Water within the pipes starts to freeze, which puts pressure on the interior walls and prevents water from flowing freely. This can potentially cause cracks and, if left unaddressed, burst pipes, sending water flooding your home.
There are several steps you can take to prevent this issue, including making sure your pipes are properly insulated. Keeping a warm, consistent indoor temperature also helps. Additionally, it’s important to leave your faucets dripping once the temperature starts inching toward freezing. If possible, leave the cabinet doors open to the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom pipes. This allows warmth to reach the pipes rather than being blocked by the doors. This is particularly important if these rooms have an exterior wall. However, for safety, you should avoid doing this if kids and/or pets could get into the cabinets.
Make a personalized plumbing plan today to help extend your system’s lifespan. Hope Plumbing, Heating and Cooling provides high-quality plumbing maintenance, installations, replacements, and repairs you can rely on. Call today to schedule an appointment or book one through our website. We serve residents in Indianapolis and Fishers, Indiana.
