Non-Urgent Services You May Want Your Plumber To Perform

To most homeowners, the plumber is someone you call when you have an urgent need for service. Sometimes this might be a leak that's gushing water all over the basement. Other times, it might be a broken valve that makes it impossible to turn your water supply off. Plumbers are happy to service these needs; it's a big part of their job. However, you may want to think about having a plumber come and perform some of these non-urgent services when you have the time. Doing so can ensure your home's plumbing keeps functioning as it should — and it's nice to make an appointment with the plumber when you're not panicking about water flooding your house.

Drain Cleaning

Yes, you can and should have your drains cleaned periodically even if water is still flowing down them. Soap scum tends to build up inside pipes, and while it may not cause problems right away, it will grab onto hair and dust, eventually leading to clogs and slow drains. A plumber can use a tool called a hydro jet to blast this soap scum buildup and any grease out of your drains and drain pipes before the problem gets too serious.

Leak Detection

It's also a good idea to have a plumber come check your pipes and plumbing for leaks. While you might think you would know if you have a leak, small leaks are easily overlooked — but this is actually the stage at which you want to fix them. A plumber may use any number of tools to detect leaks. Some plumbers use infrared cameras to see areas where water may be leaking under the floor or above the ceiling. They may also use dye to detect leaks in toilets, and they might measure the flow of water through your pipes to detect leaks in underground pipes. If a leak is detected, the plumber can repair it before you're also left with thousands of dollars of water damage to fix. That's a win-win.

Appliance Maintenance

Did you know that most plumbers maintain and fix basic water-using appliances? These include garbage disposals, dishwashers, and hot water heaters. You can have a plumber come and do some basic maintenance on these appliances once a year and avoid a lot of break-downs as a result. They can drain your hot water heater to remove sediment, clean the grinding mechanism in your garbage disposal, replace worn gaskets in dishwashers, and so forth.

Don't just call a plumber when there's an emergency. Plumbers are excellent at preventative and early-detection services, too.

If you need help, contact a local plumbing contractor.