Your Modern Day Plumbing Checklist
Bad plumbing can set you up for trouble. It can ruin your holiday plans, destroy foundational items, and put your family at risk in the worst situations. Thus, you must keep a modern day plumbing checklist handy so that you know what to do to ensure your plumbing stays up to par. These are some items you should add to your modern day plumbing checklist today.
1. Always Have the Contact Information for a Plumber
The first order of business is always to keep the number of a reliable plumber on your person. Tuck it away in your wallet, put it under a magnet on your fridge, or program it into your mobile phone’s contact list. You’ll need this person’s number in situations requiring immediate remedies.
Examples of emergency plumbing services are toilet clog removals and burst pipe repairs. Those incidents require fast-action responses and immediate care became their aftermaths can be devastating. Therefore, you’ll need the contact information for one of the establishments that take care of such issues.
You can use a quick internet search to find the names and numbers of several emergency plumbing service providers. You’ll need to dive deep into their websites and consumer reviews to see if they provide quality services and display a high level of professionalism. It will be helpful to consult with each company on your list, so you can single out the one that’s the best fit for your current needs.
2. Determine if You Have Water Leaks
Next, you’ll need to check for water leaks to ensure that your modern day plumbing is up to par. Take some time out during an unbusy time and inspect all the piping in your home. To find out if you have a leak, you’ll need to go under the sinks, in the bathroom, and in the basement if you have one. Record any leaks you find, whether they are large or small. Small leaks can quickly become larger, so you won’t want to ignore those.
Notate every location where you got a positive leak detection and save the information for the professional you contact about plumbing work. That will make that person’s job easier because they’ll know where to get started on the work.
An experienced plumber may be able to perform patchwork on the leaks in your pipes. However, some instances might require him to re-pipe the area and replace the old piping with new ones. Leaks happen for a variety of reasons, up to and including aged piping, unsuspected incidents, rodent damage, etc.
The plumber will inspect your pipes and tell you what he or she thinks caused the issue. They’ll also present you with a solution you can agree to or decline. Ensure that you add this part of the process to your modern day plumbing checklist because it will ensure that you quickly get your plumbing in excellent condition.
3. Speak About Your Water Heater With the Experts
Your water heater is an integral part of your plumbing system. A faulty one can cause many problems, including high water or energy bills and discomfort for your entire family. Therefore, you’ll want to include it in your list of things to investigate.
Speak to a provider that offers local water heater services in their service options. Ask them to visit your home and inspect your current water heater for issues. You may also inquire about maintenance services and ask them how they can help you make your water heater last for a full 20 years or longer.
Another subject to review with the water heater experts is upgrades. There might be advanced equipment they can apply to your current system to bring it up to code. All of these matters can be covered during your initial consultation, along with what price you should expect to pay for the products and services.
4. Discuss Your Drain Status
Have you considered your current drain status while thinking about your modern day plumbing? If yes, your mind is on the right track. If not, you need to start thinking about it now. Drains develop issues over time, and those problems can get large enough to cause numerous issues within your household.
For example, a clogged drain in the sink can create a situation where bacteria and mold build up in the pipelines and form an unsanitary situation. Any new foods and drinks you put into those drains can get stuck and cause a hard buildup.
A clog in the bathroom drain can make all the members of your household susceptible to getting sick. They won’t want to bathe or put their feet in the shower if they notice backed-up water emerging from the drain.
A reliable plumber can offer several solutions to such a problem. First, they can use a professional-grade plunging device to unlock the drain. Secondly, they can use harsh chemicals to eat away whatever’s stuck in it. Thirdly, they can use a snake or alternative tool to force the items stuck in the drain to come out and free the line.
Sewer and drain clearing services might be necessary inside your home, and you will be wise to get them now rather than later. Contact a community plumber and tell him about no drain, slow drain, and backup situations. If you are seeing such a problem in your sink, it’s time to contact someone who can provide drain services quickly. You won’t want to ignore it and allow it to cause a need for more expensive repairs.
5. Decide if You Need Your Drain or Sewer Cleared
After the modern day plumbing expert assesses your drain and sewer, you’ll receive a report. The report will explain the primary issues, how the company can address them, and the cost of those services. Based on the report’s findings, you will then need to decide how urgent it is that you have the matters taken care of immediately.
For example, you might need sewer and drain cleaning services. If you’re happy with the price, you can give the plumber a green light to move forward. You always have the right to decline if you find a legitimate reason you shouldn’t do so. You’re under no obligation to hire anyone.
6. Assess the Status of Your Septic Tank
The septic tank is another area of concern you should have when considering your modern day plumbing system. A variety of septic tank conditions can arise. Some of the most common are as follows:
Well Water Contamination
If you have a well, you might experience contamination. You’ll most likely need some sophisticated services to resolve those issues.
Backups
Backups can occur when drain pipes or sewer entranceways get stuck. In such a situation, you must obtain sewer cleaning or clearing services.
Drainage Problems
There may also be issues with the draining mechanisms. In that case, you will need professional septic tank services to handle the problem.
7. Consider the Status of Your Well
Another subject to add to the modern day plumbing checklist is the condition of your well. It would be wise to find a good pump company that can inspect all parts of your well. You might need a well pump company to do some so that it functions normally.
The expert will check your well’s components and verify the work accordingly. The professional will also check the water pressure flow rate during this inspection. Low water pressure is a good sign that something is wildly wrong in the system.
Therefore, the specialist will check the water pressure before and while pumping and record the performance. He will also look at the pump motor to ensure it’s running as strong as it should be. Moreover, this person will review the pressure tank’s wellness and recommend service or replacement if it doesn’t seem to be functioning very well. You’ll receive a report and have another opportunity to decide about the work accordingly.
8. Invest in Your Bathtub
You should add your bathtub to the list of modern day plumbing checklists because it’s connected to the plumbing. You can also consider doing other renovations while you get the plumbing sorted out. Water should drain from your shower and bathtub promptly with no hesitation.
All contents should go down the drain, and you should never see anything come back toward you from the drain. Slow drains indicated a clog in the pipes connected to the bathtub drain.
You don’t have to confine the services you get to problems with the drains. You can also look at the bathtub and shower units themselves and consider having a contractor do some renovations. Perhaps you want to change your tub’s style or install a new sliding door for the shower.
There’s nothing wrong with making more than one change because all of them can benefit you and your family in one way or another.
Don’t hesitate to ask an expert about bathtub repair services. There may be an option to fix the current problems with your bathtub rather than replace the entire unit.
9. Think About Updating Your Kitchen and Bathroom
We’ve added the kitchen and the bathroom to the list of things you should have on your modern day plumbing checklist. Kitchen and bath remodeling can create an entirely new environment in which you and your children are 100% proud to be. Kitchen and bathroom remodeling can start with the pipes and expand to other areas. For example, you might want to have someone replace your kitchen faucets while he or she is fixing issues with the pipes underneath the sink.
You might also want to take it further and change the cabinets, appliances, or tiling. A tiling change can transform the kitchen vibe, making it a livelier place to cook. Sometimes, adding a personal touch like a kitchen wall picture can change the scenery significantly.
You can find inexpensive tiling at a home improvement center or department store in your area. Your contractor can handle installing them and ensuring they’re seated securely.
You will learn which services the plumbing company can provide you by communicating with them. You’ll have to contact a different type of contractor if the services you require aren’t on the list of offerings, though. Many homeowners must involve several experts when they want to make significant renovations.
10. Review Your Plumbing Safety With an Expert
Plumbing experts are not just people who replace and repair pipes. They are industry experts who can also serve you as personal advisors. That means they can consult you about the best practices for plumbing companies and which areas of the plumbing system need the most care. These individuals may also help you become more aware of current safety issues, so you can begin working on them.
A home inspector can inspect your home before and after you perform your renovations. This person will let you know if your plumbing meets all the requirements and is not out of code. Fortunately, you can remedy the situation quickly if you already have a plumbing expert in your corner.
Home inspectors are available to check a new home before you move into it or point out problems with brand-new properties during the building process.
You can easily schedule time with a home inspector. Use the company’s method when you talk to them on the phone or review their websites, and you’ll be right where you need to be. There is no need to skip any steps if you properly plan before you start the work.
All you’ll need to do is make some phone calls to ensure the pricing is good for the proposed work, and you aren’t paying more out of your pocket than you should. Always try to align your mission to the most affordable and stress-free pricing. You should have no problem doing this with all the information you have in front of you.
Now that you have your checklist, you can begin your modern day plumbing journey and take care of issues you might be having. Don’t forget to contact additional contractors for the other work you would like to do within your home. Try to schedule several services at the same time so all your reservations can be completed thoroughly.
Also, don’t skip going through the process of elimination. The point is to avoid making a mistake by spending too much money or failing to remedy a problem because you were unaware of it. Read through this checklist and then check all the areas you haven’t already done.