Many homeowners overlook the value of having an expert inspect their home’s plumbing system, and they suffer for it. With regular maintenance, you can extend the lifespan of the piping system and avoid a host of unpleasant problems.
Plumbing systems can trace their history to the Roman empire, where the ancient Romans sought ways to add a touch of luxury to their magnificent homes. While these old systems can’t hold a candle to current ones on the market, they set the stage for all the modern luxuries you enjoy in your home. They spare you from the need to carry buckets of water.
The use of modern materials such as PVC and aluminum pipes gives current plumbing systems a much longer service life. Although they are not indestructible, they will serve you for a long time if you treat them right.
Give Them Some Love During Winter
Naturally, when you expose water to subzero temperatures, it’s bound to freeze. If you don’t run your taps frequently, your pipes will freeze over, causing extensive damages to your piping system. To avoid paying dearly for such an oversight, you need to protect your pipes before the onset of the winter period.
Typically, you need to insulate the water pipes running through unheated spaces, such as an unheated garage, exterior walls, unheated attics, and crawlspaces. In Utah, plumbing repair services protect pipes with foam and foil insulation, foil-backed natural cotton, bubble-film pipe wrap, and insulation tape.
Other than keeping the pipes from freezing, insulating hot water pipes helps lower your heating bills during this cold season. Exposed hot water pipes will have heat radiating away, which causes your water heater to work a lot harder than necessary. Insulating exposed pipes also eliminates condensation that drips off the tubes, creating a puddle on the floors. In closed spaces such as the basements, condensation contributes to high humidity levels, which can lead to the formation of mold as well. Condensation happens when cold water pipes come into contact with warm air.
Espouse Preventive Maintenance
Since much of your plumbing system is hidden behind walls or beneath the floors, it’s easy to forget about their existence. Well, that is until something goes wrong, and by then, the damage is already done. If the pipe sprung a leak in some hidden crevice, you’re likely to incur a hefty repair bill. To begin with, you’ll have water damage to contend with, which might cause you to replace an entire length of drywall or flooring boards.
Depending on how long the leak has been ongoing, you might have to deal with an extensive mold infestation. If the outbreak is severe, your health might take a beating as the spores produced by mold cause severe respiratory problems and migraines. Asking a plumber to inspect your system at least once a year keeps it in great shape, saving you from considerable headaches.
Due to advancements in the plumbing industry, it’s not uncommon for many piping systems to last anywhere between 20 to 100 years. However, to harness the benefits that come with advanced technology, you need to treat your plumbing system right and keep it in great shape. By limiting the wear and tear on your pipes, you can have them live out their service life without costing you a fortune in repair and maintenance.
