Plumbing Tips

Keep your home's plumbing in top working condition with these "ounce of prevention" tips to avoid costly repairs!

Faucets and Sinks

Even small drips can waste thousands of gallons of water -- as much as 150 gallons per day!  Be sure to check under sinks for moisture or small leaks.  Always repair leaky faucets right away to avoid paying for as well as wasting water, and also to avoid damage to your fixtures or pipes.

Water Heater

Water should be drained from the tank at least once every three (3) months.  Over time sediment accumulates at the bottom of the heater, which can hamper performance, and draining a gallon or so helps remove the sediment.  Before doing any maintenance yourself, be sure to shut off the power and read your owner's manual.

Also, you should periodically inspect your water heater burner.  The flame under the water heater should appear blue with yellow.

Tips:  If the flame is mostly yellow, or if it's sooty under there, your flue may be clogged, which is a dangerous situation.  Contact a professional immediately.

At least once every two (2) years, contact Appleton Campbell to have your water heater inspected.  A service technician also 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 per 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 in color, 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, and also 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% rated efficiency and operation.

Private Well Systems

Well water should be tested and chlorinated at least every five (5) years.  Annual water analysis will monitor 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.

Call us toll free at 866-543-3996 to speak to one of our friendly staff members.