Plumbing Tips

Use these tips to keep your home’s plumbing in top working condition and avoid costly repairs!

Faucets & Sinks

Even small drips can waste thousands of gallons of water—as much as 150 gallons per day!  Check under sinks for moisture or small leaks.  Always repair leaky faucets right away to avoid wasting and paying for water unnecessarily and to avoid damage to your fixtures or pipes.

Water Heater

Water should be drained from the tank at least once every three months.  Over time sediment accumulates at the bottom of the heater which hampers performance.  Draining a gallon or so regularly helps remove the sediment.  Before doing any maintenance yourself—be sure to shut off the power and read your owner’s manual.

Periodically inspect your water heater burner.  The flame under the water heater should be blue with yellow.

*If the flame is mostly yellow or if it is sooty under there—your flue may be clogged.  This is a dangerous situation.  Call Appleton Campbell immediately!

*At least every two years have Appleton Campbell inspect your water heater.  A service technician will check the drain valve for signs of leakage and the anode rods for corrosion.

Toilets

Toilet leaks can be very wasteful and expensive.  At least once each year check your toilets for leaks by adding a small amount of blue food coloring to the tank, and then check the bowl later.  If the toilet bowl water is blue, water is seeping through the tank.  The tank ball should be replaced and you should contact Appleton Campbell to ask about options such as replacing or rebuilding the toilet.

Clogs

To help prevent clogs, fit all of your tubs and shower drains with a strainer that catches hair and soap chips.  Clean the strainer regularly.  Do not rinse fats or cooking oils down the kitchen sink.  Liquid fats solidify in the pipes and create clogs.

Avoid using caustic liquid drain openers (like Drano or Liquid Plumber) on a drain that is completely clogged.  The caustic ingredients become trapped in your pipes and can damage them severely.  The clogged drain needs to be snaked by a professional.

Water Filtration Systems

These systems are designed to protect the health and quality of your drinking water.  Lack of maintenance will lead to point of contamination of your plumbing system.  Annual inspections and testing of equipment can prevent expensive repairs.  Ultra Violet and Reverse Osmosis Systems require annual filter replacements to ensure 100% efficiency and operation.

Private Well Systems

Well water should be tested and chlorinated at least every five years.  Annual water analysis monitors your water properties and characteristics.  City and town water supply systems are monitored several times per day to determine what types of conditioning will be required to treat the water before delivering it to the homeowner.

Winterizing Hose Bibs

All hose bibs on your home should be turned off from the inside valve and all water drained from the hose bib.  Newer hose bibs may have vacuum breakers which should be manually opened when draining the line to prevent freeze damage and flooding.  The hose should never be left connected to the hose bib during freezing weather conditions.