Residential Plumbing Maintenance Checklist For An Older Home

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Is your home more than a decade old? Do you often maintain your plumbing system? If you have an old house with an aging plumbing system, it's crucial to carry out regular maintenance. Old plumbing pipes and fixtures wear out over time, leading to inefficiencies, water damage, and a host of other problems. Regular maintenance can unearth underlying issues and improve the performance of the system. With this in mind, here is a maintenance checklist for your old plumbing.

Check for Pipe and Fixture Leaks

Old plumbing pipes and features may suffer wear due to poor maintenance. The damage causes the pipes and fixtures to leak. If leaks go unnoticed for a long time, they can cause water damage to your structure and encourage the growth of mold and mildew. Therefore, check for leaks in the following plumbing fixtures:

  • Toilets
  • Under the sinks
  • Showers and bathtubs
  • Washer and dishwasher
  • Water heater

Leaks in hidden pipes may be hard to detect. Thus, you need to employ advanced leak detection mechanisms. Techniques such as acoustic and thermal imaging leak detection can unearth leaks in piping hidden behind walls and under the ground. Repair damaged pipes and fixtures to protect your home from further water damage.

Check for Pipe Corrosion

Older homes used lead or galvanized zinc pipes for their plumbing. These metal pipes pose various dangers for the household occupants. Lead is a toxic material, but it was widely used due to its durability and malleability. If lead deposits break down in the water, they can cause health problems, especially in homes that consume water directly from the central system. Galvanized zinc also corrodes and gets clogged with rust, leading to water flow and quality issues.

If your home has old metal piping, it may be time to inspect them. Look for signs of corrosion, which is usually water discoloration and a metallic odor in your water. Replace metal pipes with PVC ones as they are durable, non-toxic, and non-corrosive. For hot water applications, install copper pipes. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, and it does not rust. This makes it a durable solution for your hot water system.

Inspect the Drains and Sewer Line

Plumbing drains in old homes often clog because of various factors such as the angle of the drain lines, nearby trees, poor disposal habits, and neglect. Frequent clogs indicate a problem with your system, and it could affect the main sewer line as well. Therefore, it's essential to inspect your drains and sewer line. Professional drain inspection helps locate the source of the blockage for easy unclogging.

Older homes require regular plumbing maintenance to keep the piping, fixtures, and drains in excellent condition. Contact a company like Bud's Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric to learn more.


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