Did you know that if you’re proactive in scheduling annual plumbing system maintenance that you can avoid major issues and stresses with your Ottawa plumbing system down the road?
Not only does properly caring for your plumbing system ensure that all of its moving parts are working correctly, but it also enables a professional plumber to troubleshoot any concerns before they escalate.
At Mr. Rooter of Ottawa, our skilful and qualified team offers routine plumbing system maintenance services to keep your plumbing system functioning at its best for years to come. Additionally, there are a few steps you can take as an Ottawa homeowner that will ensure you're taking the best care of your plumbing system in between regular check-ups with a professional.
Continue reading to discover the many benefits of annual plumbing system maintenance services and to learn how you can protect your plumbing system.
9 Benefits of Regular Plumbing System Maintenance
Your plumbing system is integral to your health and well-being. When dealing with a preventable issue such as clogged drains, backed-up toilets, or even burst pipes, it can be a majorly stressful situation on you and your family.
While sometimes unforeseen incidents do happen, many plumbing problems can be easily prevented with proper plumbing system maintenance. A few ways that regular maintenance protects your plumbing system and preserves its longevity include:
1. Improved Water Quality
Overtime, your plumbing system’s pipes begin to wear out. This process exposes the metal parts of the piping to rust and corrosion that can contaminate your water supply. Additionally, as the pipes begin to corrode it increases the likelihood of a leak. Not only do water leaks damage your home, but the bacterial growth from water damage negatively impacts both your water supply and the air quality in your home. Regular plumbing system maintenance can identify areas of your piping that may be starting to corrode and prevent the issue from escalating and entering into your water supply.
2. Reduced Water Bills
Did you know that leaking faucets can actually waste a significant amount of water? One drop of water every two seconds can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water every year. Not only is this irresponsible and bad for the environment, but this waste of water will contribute to your utility bills skyrocketing. Since during a plumbing system maintenance check a qualified plumber will look for leaking faucets and fix any areas of your plumbing system that are leaking, you’ll end up saving significantly on your energy bill.
3. Improved Water Pressure
Not only do water leaks negatively impact your energy bill, but they also negatively impact your water pressure. Poor water pressure is an annoyance most Ottawa homeowners would rather do without—and the fix is so simple! Rather than having a trickle of water in your taps, faucets, and shower, regular plumbing system maintenance will ensure you have excellent water pressure year after year.
4. Improve Longevity of Your Plumbing System
Poorly maintained plumbing systems do not last as long as systems that are properly cared for—resulting in significant headaches and repair costs down the line. Regular plumbing maintenance restores the functionality and efficiency of your plumbing system. Blockages stress your pipes and joints and may lead to pipe bursts; corrosion leads to leaks and inefficiencies; and, pooling water can seriously damage your appliances and valuables.
5. Better Air Quality
Cracked and faulty pipes lead to water leaks and damage. This additional moisture provides the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. The musty, stale air also puts a strain on your HVAC system—after all, everything in your home is connected! The strain on your HVAC system leads to higher energy consumption, more expensive energy bills, and poorer air quality. Proper plumbing system maintenance can fix leaking pipes and eradicate the potential for bacterial growth.
6. Improved Health for Your Family
Bacterial growth caused by leaking, corroding, or malfunctioning pipes has another negative impact: it affects the health of your family. Allergies, asthma, and other symptoms like headaches and nausea can be attributed to dampness and bacteria growth in your home. Ensuring your plumbing system is working correctly via regularly scheduled maintenance will keep these negative health effects at bay.
7. Prevent Plumbing Emergencies
Like most things, ignoring plumbing issues or not knowing you have a problem in the first place only makes the issue worse. Small leaks or clogged drains can lead to devastating pipe bursts that wreak havoc on your home and cause significant water damage to your walls, ceiling, and floors. Multiple clogged drains can often be a sign that you have a problem with your main sewer line and your yard could end up turning into a sewage-filled-swamp.
While we may take our plumbing system for granted every day, it’s important to look after it so it can continue to look after us.
8. Boosts Home Value
Did you know that plumbing systems account for 10% of the total value of your home? And for good reason! Your plumbing system ensures you have clean water to drink, are able to cook, can shower in the morning before you go to work, and wash dishes after dinner. In some cases, your plumbing system might even contribute to keeping your home warm! Regular plumbing system maintenance keeps your pipes functional, efficient, and in good working order. This improves the value of your home.
9. Fewer Repairs in the Long Run
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the same is true for your plumbing system. Not only do regular check-ups catch any issues before they escalate, but they also prevent the need for costly repairs. For instance, swapping out a piece of damaged pipe is much simpler than repairing your entire ground floor after a devastating pipe burst. Being proactive saves you time and stress while giving you and your family peace of mind.
How to DIY Plumbing System Maintenance
The only true way to ensure that your plumbing system is working properly and to prevent damage down the line is to schedule annual plumbing system maintenance with a professional plumbing service. However, there are many ways Ottawa homeowners can take care of their plumbing in between services by the professionals.
1. Take Care of Slow Drains
Does your kitchen sink or shower take forever to drain? This is not a good sign and should be addressed as soon as possible as it often indicates a clogged drain. Try using a combination of boiling water and vinegar to flush the clog away. Do this every couple months to keep your pies running smoothly.
2. Identify Faucet Leaks
Is an annoying dripping noise from your bathroom keeping you up at night? This is a sign that your faucet is leaking. Faucet leaks are generally easy to fix. If they’re ignored however, they may easily add to your energy bill expense. Be sure to regularly check for leaking faucets.
3. Check Your Toilet
Does your toilet continuously run? It’s likely a problem with the flapper or flapper chain. Open up your toilet tank and take a look inside. Is the flapper propped open or not sealed properly? Ensure the tank is clean so any build-up does not prevent the flapper from sealing. Likewise, you can adjust the flapper chain length and see if that solves your problem. If the chain is too long, it could be causing the flapper to move around too much and not close properly; too short, and the flapper will not be able to seal.
4. Inspect Your Pipes
Although the majority of your plumbing system is in the wall and difficult to spot, there will be areas in your home where the plumbing is exposed. Take the opportunity to look at these pipes and note if you see any leaks, cracks, or corrosion. Areas where you can typically see your plumbing include under sinks and in the basement. If you see any damage, call a professional plumber right away.
5. Pay Attention to Water Damage
While water damage on your ceiling can at times be caused by a leaking roof, if water damage is found on the ceiling below a bathroom, on a basement ceiling, on the floor, or on the walls, there is a good chance that you have a leaking pipe. Address water damage right away by calling a certified Ottawa plumber.
6. Check Your Water Pressure
Use a pressure gauge to test the water pressure on your plumbing system to ensure it’s at a safe level. Generally, an ideal water pressure reading is between 45 and 55 psi. If the pressure is lower than 40 psi, then it’s too low and could mean you have a clog or a leak that’s inhibiting the flow of water through your plumbing system. If the water pressure is higher than 80 psi, the water pressure is much too high and in violation of health and safety codes. If you need help turning down your water pressure, call your local plumbing service.
7. Look at Your Water Heater
Is there any water pooling around your water heater? Is water leaking down the unit itself? Likewise, is there any corrosion along your water heater? These are all signs that you have a plumbing concern.
If you have an oil fired tank, it’s also a good idea to look at the burner chamber. Ensure there are no red rust flakes in the chamber. Also, the flame should be blue and not yellow. If it’s yellow, then this means that not enough air is igniting the flame.
8. Remove Build-up From Faucets, Drains, and Showerheads
It’s important to regularly clean off calcium build-up on your sinks, faucets, shower heads, and drains. This simple action ensures that the water in your plumbing system can run freely. If you’re experiencing issues with water pressure, sometimes cleaning-off buildup from these areas can solve the problem.
9. Don’t Pour Certain Materials in the Drain
There are certain things that should not go down your drain as they are sure to cause a clog at one point or another. Some of these items include:
Grease/oil
Egg shells
Pasta/rice
Coffee grounds
Produce stickers
Cotton balls and hygiene products
Paper towels
Medication
Paint
10. Clean Out Your P-Trap Monthly
P-traps are located below most sinks. They are shaped like a “P.” Their purpose is to catch items that fall down your drain that could cause a clog and to prevent sewage gases from leaking into your home. Additionally, they can catch precious items that might fall down the sink like wedding rings. To clean out your P-trap, simply:
Put a bucket below the P-trap to catch debris
Use pliers to undo the coupling nuts that hold the trap in place
Using a wire brush or gloved-hands, sweep out the trap into the bucket
Mr. Rooter of Ottawa Professional Drain Cleaning
Along with our routine plumbing system maintenance, our team will give the pipes in your home a deep clean to get rid of any burgeoning blockages and build-up. Our Ottawa plumbing experts use the best cleaning technology to clean your plumbing system. We use a combination of our HydroScrub Jetting technology and friendly bacteria cleaning agents to give your plumbing a deep clean. Using extremely high-pressured water, our HydroScrub Jetting technology can clear away years of clogs, back-ups, and debris in your plumbing system.
Schedule an Annual Plumbing System Maintenance Service Today!
Are you ready to help maintain your plumbing systems longevity, save yourself the hassle of dealing with plumbing emergencies down the line, and improve the safety of your home? We invite you to schedule a plumbing system maintenance service with the pros at Mr. Rooter of Ottawa today. Our professional, qualified, and courteous plumbers will efficiently and diligently inspect, clean, and address any immediate issues in your plumbing system so you can enjoy it for years to come.
Give us a call at 613-746-0000 or request a job estimate online to get started today.