Home Plumbing Maintenance Checklist

You count on your plumbing every day, but it’s easy to take clean water at the flick of a faucet for granted. So our helpful Lompoc plumbers have come up with a home plumbing maintenance checklist to ensure your pipes don’t let you down the next time you hop in the shower or go to wash the dishes.

It’s best to divide and conquer with this checklist, keeping a general rule of thumb to look for corroded pipes, dripping faucets and stuck valves that can cause leaks and, in turn, major water damage.

Outdoor Plumbing

Water Meter: These often lose accuracy as they age, so you should replace yours every 15 to 20 years.

Water Main: Install a filter on your water main, whether you’re on city or well water, to prevent the build-up of sediment that can cause problems all over your home, from your toilets to faucets.

Outdoor Hose Bibs: A frozen hose bib, an outdoor faucet specifically designed for a garden hose, can cause pipes to burst inside your walls. Make sure your hose bibs are frost-free, which means you can forgo the use of wrapping them in the winter.

Kitchen

Sink: Check below the sink, making sure to inspect beneath all those cleaning supplies and everything else you store under there, for signs of leaks or water damage. That means pipes or connections may need to be replaced. Also, if your faucet is dripping, even a little, it can cost you big on your water bill; the fittings may need adjusting or replaced all together.

Refrigerator: The water line to your ice maker and water dispenser can be a hidden disaster waiting to happen. Make sure it has the approved copper tubing, working shut-off valves and the filter cartridges are up to date.

Dishwasher: Inspect beneath the dishwasher to make sure the pan or supply line isn’t leaking.

Bathrooms

Toilet: A running toilet can waste up to 250 gallons of water a day! Check the seal on the plunger to make sure the water tank is filling properly. The water fill valve may also need to be replaced if it continues to run after the tank if full.

Shower and Tub: A clean shower head seems like a no-brainer when it comes to, you know, cleaning your body. You might want to consider switching to a low-flow shower head to save some water. Also, make sure the drains are all working properly.

Laundry Room

Washing Machine: The rubber water supply hoses often dry out and crack, and can leak or burst, causing water damage. Installing new braided steel hoses can help prevent damages from happening. Also, check the drains to make sure water is being properly diverted.

You can find more tips here.

Basement and/or Garage

Water Heater: Set a schedule for the regular draining and flushing of your water heater to ensure it’s working efficiently. You can check out more on water heater maintenance here. Older water heaters should most likely be replaced; you can read more about the best kinds of water heaters here.

Sump Pump: Make sure it is in good working condition by pouring water into the crock to ensure it activates. And make sure its drain is free of any blockages, as well.