Your home’s plumbing system should be well-maintained and get the necessary repairs and upgrades that it needs to run efficiently. If you want to schedule maintenance service for your system, you might wonder whether the current time is the right time of year to have this work performed. Here are a few specific maintenance tasks along with the best times of year to perform them.
Checking for Leaks
Leaks in your pipes or plumbing fixtures can happen anytime, and you might be unaware of certain leaks until major water damage has occurred in your home. Generally, the best time of year to have your plumbing system checked for leaks is during the summer when temperatures are warmer. Leaks are often easier to spot when temperatures are warmer and visibly are greater thanks to the longer days of summer.
Reinforcing the Pipes
The winters in Southern California can still have unexpected cold snaps with low temperatures, and your pipes may need extra protection to withstand the expansion and contraction that they often endure when the temperature changes. The expansion and contraction of your pipes could cause them to burst, which may result in indoor flooding and serious water damage. One of the best ways to reinforce your pipes is to wrap them in special insulation materials, which can be done by yourself or by plumbing professionals.
Achim Hering, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Drain Cleaning
If you have any fully or partially clogged drains, you’ll definitely want to have them cleared before winter. More ice could form inside your pipes if the temperatures happen to get extremely cold and the drains are clogged, and this may cause your pipes to burst. There are plumbing services available, for example, Drain Right Services, which can handle any tough clogs that you’re unable to remove from your drains yourself.
Sewer Work
Whether you have a traditional or trenchless sewer line, you shouldn’t neglect your sewer’s maintenance if you want to avoid backups and other catastrophes. If your sewer line needs any repair work or just general maintenance service, the best time of year is usually during the spring and summer months when the ground is looser and easier to access because of the warmer temperatures.
You can avoid a lot of costly and frustrating setbacks if you stay on top of your plumbing system’s maintenance. Plumbing professionals can handle all your plumbing maintenance tasks if you don’t have the tools and knowledge to do the work yourself or if you’d rather just have someone else manage the tasks for you.