3 Parts of Your Plumbing System That Require an Annual Checkup

Annual checkups are recommended for a variety of household systems; and even if you remember to get your AC system checked at the beginning of every warm season, you may not realize that your plumbing system needs to be regularly maintained as well. Unlike your AC, your plumbing system works year-round and accumulates constant wear and tear.

So whether you decide to have your system inspected and cleaned as part of your spring cleaning or in the fall before winter storms can burst any unprotected pipes, there are a number of factors in your plumbing system that require a professional checkup each year. Here are a few examples.

1. Water Heater

Sometimes water heater problems can sneak up on you. For example, if there’s sediment buildup in the tank, you might not notice that your system is sounding more rumbly than it did a few months ago – after all, each day sounded about the same as the day before.

A plumbing inspection includes water heater checkups, and a plumbing technician can find and diagnose problems such as sediment buildup, thermostat problems, valve problems and leaks in a tank easier than you could on your own.

A technician can also help you with problems that are just annoying, such as slightly-too-high water pressure. A technician can also perform regular maintenance services such as flushing out the tank and putting in a new anode rod, meaning there will be less maintenance work for you later.

2. Sump Pump

Your sump pump probably doesn’t get used often, especially during the less-stormy times of the year. However, after months of inactivity, some sump pumps may develop a malfunction. You can’t be sure yours will work perfectly just because it did so last year.

Instead, including the sump pump in your annual plumbing maintenance and inspection visit will help ensure that it’s in good working condition next time there’s a storm.

Although there are several maintenance tasks you can do yourself, such as cleaning out the pump screen, a professional inspection will include testing of the alarm and backup power, checking for functional valves and correct pit size and more, so you don’t have to worry about those maintenance tasks unless you want to.

3. Water Pipes

Not all homeowners realize this, but your water could be negatively affecting your pipes in a variety of ways. For example, if the water is too hard, it could be causing a layer of lime scale to build up on the inside of your pipes, which can gradually reduce their diameter until no water can get through at all.

On the other hand, if your water softener is too strong, the chemicals might damage your pipes as well. In addition, a too-high or too-low PH can also have ill effects, causing erosion or other problems.

So no matter what type of water you have – well water or city water – an annual inspection to make sure your pipes are in good health is ideal.

The plumbing inspection will also include checking for any drips, slow leaks and other “small” problems that could develop into very large problems at some point during the next few years. Having a professional look at your pipes can be very helpful that way.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons that annual inspections are recommended for your plumbing system. These few examples show that there’s a lot that can go wrong if you don’t stay up to date with upkeep.

If you’d like more info about plumbing maintenance or if you’d like to schedule a repair or maintenance visit, contact the experts at Vines Restoration Plumbing HVAC today via our website.