Although it’s easy to overlook the plumbing system in your Kalispell, MT, home, it plays an important role in keeping your living space safe, comfortable, and healthy. Your plumbing system brings fresh, potable water in and carts all of your waste out. It also supports many of the major appliances that make your life easy.
Given that some common plumbing repairs can be costly, the best way to keep your plumbing system working reliably and efficiently is by investing in routine plumbing maintenance. The following are nine ways in which routine plumbing maintenance by a local expert plumber can save you a surprising amount of cash.
1. Early Leak Detection
When watertight pipes and connections fail, residential buildings can sustain tremendous damage. A single unchecked plumbing leak can damage your floors and sub-floors, fill your home with excess moisture, and leave you with soft drywall, discolored ceilings, and blistered, peeling paint.
During annual whole-house plumbing inspections, our plumbers can catch and correct slow and hidden leaks, replace worn components, and tighten loose connections before these issues lead to costly repairs.
Without professional attention, some plumbing problems can eventually affect other plumbing system features or other major systems throughout your home. Early leak detection and timely plumbing repairs prevent minor problems from worsening.
2. Keeping Your Drains Clean
In addition to whole-house plumbing inspections, it’s important to schedule regular drain cleaning service. Although you can freshen your drains with simple, common household items, baking soda and white vinegar alone are not enough to optimize drain performance.
Professional drain cleaning removes stubborn buildups of biofilm, grease, soap scum, and hair. It’s perfect for preventing slow-moving drains and potential blockages. It also helps eliminate unpleasant drain odors and unsightly stains in shower pans and sinks.
Preventing Dangerous Whole-House Backups
All your drains converge onto your home’s underground sewer line. When every drain in your home slows down or becomes blocked at once, this indicates a sewer line obstruction. Blocked sewer lines prevent waste and wastewater from moving on to the municipal sewer system. Over time, a blocked sewer line can cause raw sewage to back up into your home.
Whole-house backup events can damage floors and sub-floors, plumbing-connected appliances, and more. By exposing residents to harmful biological and chemical contaminants, they can also negatively affect everyone’s health. Scheduling sewer camera inspections and drain cleaning can help prevent costly water damage repair bills, medical expenses, and mold remediation services.
Addressing Hard Water Buildups
Drain cleaning also helps remove some mineral buildup caused by hard water. However, to fully protect your pipes, fixtures, and appliances, installing a whole-house water softener is the best long-term solution. When our plumbers notice signs of extremely hard water during drain cleaning service, we can discuss the benefits of investing in a water-softening system.
3. Avoiding Elevated Humidity and Mold Problems
Blocked drains and plumbing leaks add moisture to the indoor air. As trapped water evaporates, it can raise indoor humidity beyond what your HVAC system can manage. When unchecked plumbing problems push humidity levels above 60%, mold spores can thrive.
Scheduling routine plumbing maintenance can help you avoid musty odors, discolored drywall, and other mold-related issues. Preventing plumbing-related mold growth also protects your carpeting, HVAC system, furnishings, clothing, and more.
4. Deterring Pests With Routine Plumbing Maintenance
Regular plumbing inspections allow our plumbers to fix leaky pipes, cracked sewer lines, and other issues that can attract pests. Leaking pipes create the perfect environment for insects and rodents, while cracked sewer lines provide an easy entry point. By maintaining your plumbing system, you can reduce the risk of infestations from ants, cockroaches, rodents, mosquitoes, and termites.
5. Extending the Life Span of Your Appliances
Neglecting plumbing problems can take a toll on your washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, and other plumbing-connected appliances. Routine plumbing maintenance prevents avoidable appliance repairs and extends the life of your equipment. If you have a whole-house water filter, water softener, or refrigerator-based ice machine, regular maintenance helps keep these devices functioning optimally for longer.
6. Identifying and Mitigating Costly, Ongoing Plumbing Problems
There are several all-too-common plumbing issues that many homeowners gradually learn to live with. These include constantly running toilets and leaky faucets. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a leaky faucet that drips once per second can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water every year.
The EPA also estimates that a running toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day. All this water is wasted, yet it’s still accounted for in your monthly water bill. Having a plumber identify and fix these issues during routine maintenance can lead to significant savings over time.
7. Optimizing the Efficiency of Your Water Heater
Water heater maintenance is a key component of routine plumbing upkeep. Our plumbers flush out trapped sediment, replace worn anode rods, and take other steps to improve efficiency.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) states that routine water heater maintenance can improve efficiency and reduce energy costs. In fact, maintaining your water heater properly can help lower annual water heating expenses by up to 16%.
When tank-based water heaters near the end of their lifespan, neglecting maintenance can increase the risk of tank ruptures. By having our plumbers inspect and service your water heater regularly, you can prevent unexpected leaks and water damage.
8. Balancing Your Home’s Water Pressure
In addition to fixing leaky faucets and running toilets, routine maintenance also allows plumbers to address high water pressure. If your water pressure is too high, your water bills will be unnecessarily expensive. Much like leaks, excessive water pressure sends extra water down the drain without being used.
Correcting high water pressure with a pressure-reducing valve or another mitigation strategy can also extend the lifespan of your water heater and other plumbing-connected appliances. Without proper intervention, your dishwasher and washing machine endure extra strain during every wash and rinse cycle.
9. Maintaining Compliance With Warranties and Insurance Policies
Some home warranties, manufacturer warranties, and insurance policies require proof of regular maintenance to maintain coverage. Scheduling professional plumbing inspections ensures compliance with any such requirements and helps prevent claim denials when you need coverage most.
We help homeowners in Kalispell optimize and protect their plumbing systems with expert drain cleaning, leak detection, water heater maintenance, and sewer repair services. With our general plumbing maintenance, you can prevent major plumbing issues and save money in the long run.
For quality plumbing system maintenance, give us a call at Wild West Plumbing, Heating & Cooling today.
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