Spring has sprung and its time to clean! The yard and garage, are all ready for a refresh, but what about your plumbing? Keeping up with home plumbing maintenance is important to avoid costly and inconvenient malfunctions and plumbing emergencies. Every year your pipes, faucets, drains, and appliances should be inspected!

Here are several highlights that should always be on your annual home plumbing maintenance checklist to ensure that you get the most out of of your plumbing and your home's appliances:

Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal should be checked annually to ensure that blades and drains are tight and functional, and not causing problems further down the drain line. You can do a lot during the year in your everyday habits to extend the life of your disposal: always run water when disposing of food and don't use the disposal for food items such as coffee grounds or egg shells.

Repair Leaky Faucets

A leaky faucet wastes water and money! Leaky faucets could, in some cases, be indicative of underlying plumbing issues that detract from how energy efficient your home is. When a leaky faucet is repaired, it's a perfect time to inspect other aspects of the sink, faucet, and drains to make sure that they are not due for replacement or repairs as well. Leaky faucets not only unnecessarily cause your plumbing bills to rise, but can also be a sign that there are more leaks in the pipes themselves that may cause water damage if they are not inspected and repaired.

Inspect Pipes

The cold winter temperatures can often wreak havoc on plumbing systems, especially if they weren't properly winterized, which means spring is perfect for annual home plumbing maintenance inspections. Pipe leaks mean there is water and moisture in areas of your home that there shouldn't be, putting your home at risk for severe damage, and leaving your family at risk for exposure to mold and mildew. Leaks in pipes can become worse over time and can cause costly repairs if left unchecked.

Plumbing Vents

Over time, plumbing vents on the exterior of your home can become clogged with debris and vegetation. Any type of clog can cause backups, which lead to flooding and overflowing. Vent clogs are much easier to remedy than the water damage and other issues that can result if these clogs are not fixed proactively, making annual home plumbing maintenance a perfect solution!

Check Appliance Accessories

Home appliances that are used daily undergo a lot of wear and tear. Hoses and other accessories can become worn can start to leak. These leaks hinder appliance efficiency and waste money, not to mention putting your home appliances in danger of damage that may require total replacement.

Clogged Drains

Whether its the kitchen or in the bathroom, clogged drains are an unsightly nuisance. Home plumbing maintenance checks are the perfect time to unclog drains and confirm that clogs aren't caused by major plumbing problems further down drainage lines.

Home plumbing maintenance is a yearly chore that ensures your home's plumbing systems are efficient and leak-free, which will help you avoid costly repairs and emergency calls throughout the year. Contact the North Little Rock plumbers at Ben Franklin, your residential plumbing experts. Call us today to schedule your home plumbing maintenance appointment, (501) 238-6293!

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing North Little Rock serves the greater Little Rock cities of Beebe, Benton, Bryant, Cabot, Conway, Jacksonville, Little Rock, Maumelle, North Little Rock, Searcy, Sherwood and surrounding areas with a team of certified plumbers. In addition to emergency plumbing repair, some of the plumbing services provided by the company include faucet repair, drain services, toilet repair, plumbing fixture installations, tub and shower installations, kitchen sink repair, faucet installation, water heater repair/replacement, and garbage disposal replacement. Call us today at (501) 238-6293 to schedule an appointment!