Spring Cleaning? Don't Forget Your Plumbing

With spring approaching, it's almost that time of year again; Time to get spring cleaning. While you are deep cleaning your closets, living room, bathroom, and kitchen, take some time to do a little spring cleaning for your plumbing. Though it probably isn't as top-of-mind as switching out your winter clothes for summer, a little plumbing maintenance is important and can save you money in the long run. Here are a few tips to get your plumbing system spring clean.

• Check faucets for leaks (look under your countertop also)
• Make sure sink and shower drains have strainers to help prevent clogging
• Turn water shutoff valves for your sinks and toilets off and on to prevent sticking
• Check water supply lines to your ice-maker, dishwasher, and washing machine for wear or bulging
• Test toilet tanks for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring and seeing if it ends up in the bowl in around 30 min
• Soak showerheads in a vinegar and water mixture overnight and then scrub to remove mineral deposits
• Snake slow floor drains and frequent clogging drains to remove clogs
• Pour a gallon of water down infrequently used floor drains to prevent odors from coming to your house
• Use drain cleaner to clear build-up from all drains in your home
• Thoroughly clean your garbage disposal
• Clean out gutters, downspouts, and yard drains
• Check outdoor faucets to make sure water flows freely and that there are no leaks

A Note About Water Heaters
Though we don't recommend DIYing water heater maintenance, a few things to get done (by a professional of course) are:

• Check that the temperature is not higher than 120 degrees to prevent scalding
• Carefully drain a few gallons from the tank to get rid of corrosion that can cause build-up
• If your water heater was installed more than 15 years ago, it might be time for a new one (the first 4 digits on the serial number are the month and year of production)

Though plumbing maintenance is generally not something that comes to mind during the frenzy of spring cleaning, it is important to ensure that everything is clean and working correctly. Spring cleaning plumbing maintenance can also help prevent future plumbing emergencies.

If you have any questions or would like professional plumbing system maintenance, Apollo Plumbing is here for you. Contact us online or call us at (206) 678-3630.