Providing Preventative Maintenance for Your Plumbing in Hartford, CT, and Beyond

Check caulking around sinks, toilets, tubs, and showers to insure a good seal.

Mildew is caused by standing water that may have dried up.

Check for signs of water leaks usually indicated by puddles of water, watermarks, or mildew. Check exposed pipes, where pipes run through the walls or at the foundation of your home.

Look for any evidence of green stains or white crusting around brass and copper fittings or around shutoff valves. Corrosion can cause leaks and bad pipe connections if not fixed.

Check to see if your toilets rock when you push or pull on them. Make sure each toilet is flushing properly. Check inside the toilet for any broken, rusted, or missing parts. Make sure toilets do not continue running after flushed and that there are no signs of water around any toilets.

Make sure each sink is draining properly. Slow drainage usually indicates a clog in the drain or a blocked vent pipe. If bubbles appear when water is draining, this is usually a sign of a problem.

Make sure each of these drain properly. Just like your sink, if your shower or tub is draining slowly, it may be an indication of a problem.

Turn on all the faucets in your home to make sure that none are leaking from the handles or valves. Even a small leak wastes a lot of water over time and costs you higher utility bills.

Inspect your hose for cracks, brittleness or leaking. Washing machine hoses are usually made of reinforced rubber, which can lose resiliency causing them to burst as they get older. To reduce the chances that your hoses will fail, it’s a good idea to inspect your washing machine hoses regularly. You may also want to upgrade to braided hoses.

Check for cracked tiles in the shower, around sinks or near water pipes. Hollow or loose tiles can be a sign that there is, or was, a leak that has caused rotting underneath or behind the tile.

Low water pressure can be an indication that you have sediment build-up in the faucet or showerhead. It can also be a sign that you have a problem in the water line.

Your water heater should be drained and cleaned out once a year to remove sediment build-up. Signs that your water heater may have sediment buildup are rusty colored water coming from your fixtures, clothes not coming out of the washing machine as bright white as they should, a decrease in the amount of hot water available, and sometimes low water pressure can be an indication you have a problem.

Inspect drain connection points at the sink and dishwasher for leaking. Also tighten or replace gaskets if signs of leaking are detected.

Watch and listen to the dishwasher when running. Slow fills may indicate a problem with the water supply hose. Check discharge hose for clogs or pinching.

Inspect water hose for signs of wear. Replace water and ice filter twice per year.