Your Comprehensive Plumbing Maintenance Checklist From the Experts

June 22, 2011

Homeownership is a huge responsibility and, for most, the source of significant expenses. It's important to keep up on maintenance around the house to protect the value of your investment.

Preventive plumbing maintenance involves keeping an eye on your entire plumbing system. It addresses plumbing issues before they become major problems. You can easily do some plumbing preventative maintenance on your own.

You can maintain a plumbing system by checking and cleaning various parts regularly. Below is your comprehensive plumbing maintenance checklist and preventive care tips to help you maintain your home’s plumbing systems.

General Home Plumbing Maintenance Checklist
Toilet Maintenance Checklist
Gas or Electric Water Heater Maintenance Checklist
Garbage Disposal Care Checklist
Sump Pump Maintenance Checklist
Seasonal Plumbing Maintenance
When to Call a Professional
Contact A.J. Perri’s Plumbing Experts Today!

General Home Plumbing Maintenance Checklist

Caulking: Check the caulking around sinks, toilets, tubs, and showers to ensure there are no cracks where water can get in.
Mildew: This natural growth is caused by standing water that may have dried up and remained hidden in various spots in your home—especially the bathroom and the basement.
Signs of water leaks: Indicators include puddles of water or watermarks. Check exposed pipes, where pipes run through the walls or at your home's foundation.
Signs of corrosion: Look for any evidence of green stains around brass and copper fittings around shutoff valves. Corrosion can cause leaks and bad pipe connections if not fixed.
Sinks: Make sure each sink drains properly. Slow drainage or gurgling plumbing sounds usually indicate a clog in the drain or a blocked vent pipe. Bubbles appearing when water drains usually mean there is a problem with the drain.
Showers and tubs: Make sure each drains properly. Just like your sink, if your shower or tub drains slowly, it may need to be cleared.
Faucets: Turn on all your faucets to check for leaks in the handles or valves. Even a small leak can waste a lot of water over time and raise your utility bills.
Washing machine hoses: Inspect your hose for cracks, brittleness, or leaking. Washing machine hoses are usually made of reinforced rubber, which can lose resiliency, causing them to burst as they age. To reduce the chances that your hoses will fail, it's a good idea to inspect them regularly.
Cracked tiles: Look around the shower, sinks, or near water pipes. Hollow or loose tiles can be a sign that there is, or was, a leak that has caused rotting underneath or behind the tile.
Water pressure: Low water pressure can indicate sediment buildup in the faucet or showerhead or a problem in the water line.
Weird noises: You may hear various sounds within your system; a consistently noisy plumbing system indicates something is wrong. For example, plumbing knocking noises could mean a water pressure issue.

Toilet Maintenance Checklist

Toilet stability: See if your toilets rock when you push or pull on them. A loose toilet could lead to leaks.
Flushing: Check to see if your toilet continues to run after being flushed. You should also inspect the connection between the flush handle and the tank.
Tank components: Inspect the tank’s components for broken, worn-down, or rusted parts. If unchecked, these can affect your toilet’s overall performance and lead to problems.
Leaks: Check all around your toilet for wet spots. There are many places water can escape. If you aren’t sure if there are leaks, you can put a couple of drops of food coloring in the toilet water and flush. If you see the color anywhere around the toilet after a short period, you’ll know there is a problem.
Shut-off valve: The valve is a little knob under or behind the toilet. A working valve should turn with ease. If it doesn’t, the valve likely needs repair or replacement.
Fill valve: The fill valve is in the tank, bringing water to your toilet. After flushing, the valve will bring water in; it should stop when the tank is full. If it doesn’t, something is wrong and needs attention immediately to avoid overflowing.
Cleaning: Regular cleaning of your toilet is hygienic and helps maintain it. Avoid harsh cleaners; they could damage your toilet’s inner workings.

Gas or Electric Water Heater Maintenance Checklist

Draining: Your water heater should be drained and cleaned out once a year to remove sediment buildup.
Water quality: Signs your water heater may have sediment buildup include rust-colored water coming from your fixtures and clothes not coming out of the washing machine as bright white as they should.
Water pressure: Sediment issues can create low water pressure problems.
Hot water: Check to ensure you are still getting plenty of hot water; a decrease in the amount of hot water available can be a sign of sediment buildup.
Burner chamber: Inspect the burner chamber of your water heater for rust. If you see any, you need a professional cleaning.
Burner flame: Your water heater’s flame should be blue, not any other color. If you notice yellow in the flame, it needs a professional cleaning.
Electrical connection: Test your electrical connection to your water heater to ensure it’s still working. It should also be located a safe distance from the heater.
Leaks: As always, you want to ensure no leaking around your water heater. This inspection should also include the pipes. Leaks can be a sign that a repair or replacement is necessary.
Temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve: This safety valve releases pressure within the heater if it gets too high. You can test it by lifting the valve’s tab to release water. If it flows and then stops, it’s okay. If no water comes out or you can’t stop the flow, there’s a problem.
Anode rod: This rod attracts corrosive particles in the tank, slowing the corrosion process. If it’s coated in debris, it's time for a replacement.
Flue and venting system: Inspect this system for corrosion and blockages as part of your water heater maintenance plan to ensure its peak performance.
Odd noises: Listen regularly for any strange noises coming from your water heater, as they could be an early sign of a problem.
Insulation: Ensure your insulation remains secure against your water heater and pipes. You may need to replace or reattach the insulation if it's old or loose.

If you need to talk to a professional, call A.J. Perri today!

Garbage Disposal Care Checklist

Run your disposal: Even if you don’t need to use it, it’s smart to run your disposal regularly to prevent clogs. This effort prevents any stuck food from rotting and creating unpleasant smells.
Use cold water: Cold water is better because it keeps fats and oils solid, making it easier for your garbage disposal to grind them up.
Deep cleans: To ensure peak performance, deep clean your disposal once a month. Look for and remove debris, pour ice cubes down the disposal, and run it. After that, you can use vinegar to flush out the disposal.
Weird noises: Listen for signs of noisy plumbing; it can be a sign of something stuck or broken.

Sump Pump Maintenance Checklist

Testing: Test your sump pump every year to ensure it’s working correctly before you need it. Pour a bucket of water into the pump and watch if it can remove the water. If not, schedule a repair or replacement.
Cleaning: Maintaining your sump pump involves cleaning out any debris to prevent clogs. This task should also include cleaning the inlet screen and the sump basin.
Inspection: Look over your sump pump for worn-down parts. It’s best to replace them before the wet season arrives.
Electrical connection: Test your electrical connection to the sump pump to make sure it’s still working.
Positioning: Depending on how much water your sump pump takes in, it could become unbalanced. Inspect and realign it if needed.

Need Help with your sump pump? A.J. Perri’s experts are here to help!

Seasonal Plumbing Maintenance

Outdoor spigots, pool lines, sprinkler system: Turn off water to any outdoor water lines before the winter. Also, cover outdoor spigots to protect them from the harsh winter temperatures.
Gutters and downspouts: To prevent clogs and leaks, clean your gutters before and after autumn.
Insulation: If you have any areas in your home that aren’t heated and have water pipes running through them, insulate them before the temperature drops.

When to Call a Professional

The best time to call a professional is when any plumbing problem is more than a quick fix. Plumbing systems are delicate; even a minor mistake could lead to expensive repairs or replacements.

The professional team at A.J. Perri brings years of experience helping New Jersey homeowners. We’ll apply our skills and utilize the latest tools to handle various problems quickly and efficiently. Call our experts, and we’ll fix things in no time.

We also offer maintenance plans to help you care for and maintain this critical system.

Contact the Plumbing Experts at A.J. Perri Today!

Plumbing maintenance should always be at the top of a homeowner’s to-do list. With a plumbing system running throughout your home, a single problem can quickly become a disaster. Water leaks can cause widespread damage and even threaten the home's structural integrity.

Our regular plumbing maintenance inspections ensure that your system is running smoothly. A professional will not only look at your plumbing but also catch any minor issues before they become expensive problems.

Schedule an inspection with A.J. Perri now!