General Maintenance Tips
*For your Faucets and Sinks
Believe it or not, even small drips can waste THOUSANDS of gallons of water, as much as 150 gallons a day! This can lead to higher water bills! Be sure to check under sinks for moisture or small leaks from time to time.
On extremely cold nights, when freezing is in the forecast, leave an outside faucet SLOWLY drip overnight to prevent frozen pipes.
*For your Water Heater
At least once a year drain water from the tank. Over time sediment builds at the bottom of the heater, which can slow performance. Draining helps remove the sediment and improve efficiency.
At least once every year, have your water heater inspected by Liberty Plumbing. We will also check the drain valve for signs of leakage, and the anode rods for corrosion. Your Water Heater is working all the time and needs a tune up to keep it going!
If you are considering a new water heater - the life expectancy is 7-12 years - you might consider replacing your tanked water heater with a tankless unit. Tankless water heaters heat water as you need it, instead of keeping a tankfull of water hot ALL the time. You can put them in smaller places - like in a closet that shares a wall with your master bath, and that way you can have your hot water instantly. Tankless water heaters are HUGE on energy efficiency as well.
*For your Toilets
Toilet leaks can be wasteful and expensive! You may not even realize you have one. It is a good idea, at least once a year to check your toilet for leaks by adding a color tablet to the tank, then check the toilet bowl later. If the toilet bowl water is colored, water is leaking through from the tank. If it is leaking, you should replace the tank flapper.
Don't treat your toilets as a universal garbage disposal. Just because a product is called 'disposable' or 'flushable' doesn't mean it should be flushed down the toilet.
*If you have Clogs
Clogs happen, but to reduce them, fit all your tubs and shower drains with a strainer that catches hair and soap, and clean the strainer regularly.
Do not rinse grease or cooking oils down the kitchen sink. Liquid fats harden in the cold pipes and create horrible clogs.
Toilet Clogs- Some clogs can be resolved with a plunger and some elbow grease. If the clog is something that shouldn't be in a toilet at all, like a Hot Wheels car, it may require some serious work!
Flush only once. If it's not flushing the first time, don't flush again. This will cause more water to be pumped into the toilet bowl. If the toilet becomes clogged, the first flush will not cause the bowl to overflow, but the second flush might.
* Misc Tips
Check hoses from the clothes washing machine. Old, cracked hoses should be replaced and loose connections should be tightened.
Secure water heaters to the wall. Place the water heater on a pan that will direct possible leaks to a drain for other regions.
Find out where the main shutoff valve for the water is from the street or well so if a pipe bursts, you can turn off the water.
To prevent offensive odors, treat your garbage disposal every month with a combination of a couple of handfuls of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar. Let that set in the disposal hopper with the unit turned off.
Traditional to Tankless Water Heater
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
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Liberty Plumbing
