Preventive maintenance around your home is to keep your home in good  repair.  Such routine home maintenance will avoid major repairs in the future. Below is a list of the most common year round home maintenance work you should do around your home. The chart is simply a guide. If you notice a problem developing take action immediately.

CAUTION: Before inspecting or working on any electrical system or on any device connected to it, shut off the power and check to make sure the circuit is dead with a circuit tester. Unplug any device you plan to work on. For maintenance or repairs to plumbing fixtures or water using appliances you should shut off the water before making any repairs. Follow safety tips when on the roof.

*This is recommended to be done by a professional.

Leaking or Broken Pipe:

• Turn off the house’s main shutoff valve to avoid water damage or further plumbing problems.
• Make temporary repairs to stop the leak; the pipe will have to be replaced as soon as it is suitable to do so.

Overflowing Toilet:

• Reach within the toilet tank, press the tank stopper down into the valve seat, and hold it there.
• Turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valve under the toilet. If theirs is no valve, turn off the house’s main shutoff valve.
• Unclog the toilet with a funnel-cup plunger or closet auger.

Clogged Sink:

• Shut off any faucet or appliance, such as a dishwasher, that drains into the sink.
• Unclog the sink using a plunger or snake. Don’t use a chemical drain cleaner if the blockage is entirety clogged.
• It is a good idea to keep a plumbing snake to fix numerous common pluming problems.

Faucet That Won’t Shut Off:

• Right away turn off the water at the fixture valve beneath the sink. If there’s no valve, turn off the house’s main shutoff valve.
• Repair or if necessary replace the faucet to stop any further pluming problems.

Steaming Hot-Water Faucet:

• Open every hot water faucets to relieve the overheated hot-water heater.
• Turn off the electric or gas supply to the heater.
• Let the faucet run until cold water flows from it. This a sign that the water in the heater is no longer overheated, then you can close them.
• Call in a professional to make any needed repairs to the heater.

Every 6 months, open the drain valve at the bottom and let the water run into a bucket until the water appears clear.  This should be approximately 5 gallons.  This will prevent sediment from accumulating.

Every 12 months, test the temperature – pressure relief valve.  Either press or lift the valve handle.  Water will drain from the overflow pipe.  If water doesn’t drain, shut off the water to the water heater, open a hot water faucet somewhere in the house in order to drain the hot water pipes, and then replace the pressure relief valve.

NOTE: If boiling water or steam is released from the valve or any hot water faucets, shut off the heater immediately.  If there is ever a growling or rumbling sound, you should conclude the water heater is overheating and turn it off immediately.

Water Temperature – Gas Heaters

The normal water heater temperature is 150 – 160 degrees fahrenheit.  If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can lower the temperature.

NOTE: If you have small children, a high temperature water can burn them.  Adjust the temperature accordingly.

Temperature Not Correct

If the water is not as hot as indicated by the temperature control, and you think the control may be defective, turn on the hot water at a faucet and let it run for between 3 and 5 minutes.  If the heater does not turn on, set the control to a lower setting and test again.  If it continues to fail, you will need to replace the heater.

Draining and flushing a hot water is part of a sound hot water heater maintenance program. The follow steps give you the how to’s:

1. Turn off the gas or power
2. Close the cold water valve
3. Attach a hose to the drain valve to remove the water
4. Open the drain valve and open one hot water faucet to let in some air
5. When the draining is complete, turn the cold water valve on and off until the water from the drain looks clear.
6. Close the drain valve and the hot water faucet
7. Open the cold water valve
8. Turn the gas or power back on

Though flushing the tank may only be needed when necessary, draining the tank should be done every six month to prevent sediment from building up and causing the water heater to perform below it’s capabilities.