Plumbing 3 February 2023

Top 7 Plumbing Problems You Can Avoid with Regular Maintenance

Plumbing problems can be a major headache for homeowners. From leaky taps to blocked drains, these issues can quickly escalate and cause significant damage if not addressed in a timely manner. Fortunately, many common plumbing problems can be avoided with regular maintenance. In this article, we’ll explore the top seven plumbing problems that can be prevented with proper care.

Blocked Drains

Over time, soap scum, hair, and other debris can build up in your pipes and cause blockages. Regular drain cleaning can help prevent blockages and keep your pipes flowing smoothly.

Leaky Taps

A dripping tap may seem like a minor issue, but it can actually waste a lot of water and lead to higher utility bills. Regular tap maintenance can help prevent leaks and save you money in the long run.

Running Toilets

A running toilet wastes water continuously, day and night, and it is easy to stop hearing it after a week or two. If you are on a water meter you are paying for every drop. Usually the cause is a worn flush valve or a float set too high, and both are inexpensive to put right.

Burst Pipes

Cold temperatures can cause pipes to freeze and eventually burst, leading to significant water damage. Regular insulation and winterisation can help prevent this issue.

Hot Water Cylinder Issues

Regular hot water cylinder maintenance can help extend the life of your unit and prevent costly repairs.

Slow-Draining Sinks and Showers

Slow drains can be caused by a build-up of soap scum, hair, and other debris. Regular cleaning and maintenance can help prevent this issue.

Backed-Up Sewer Lines

Regular underground drain maintenance can help prevent blockages and backups, which can be both unpleasant and expensive to clean up.

Why Prevention Is Cheaper Than Repair

Almost every expensive plumbing job we attend started as a cheap one that nobody dealt with. A weeping joint costs very little to remake. The same joint left for six months has soaked a floor, brought down part of a ceiling and turned a plumbing job into a plumbing, plastering and decorating job.

The pattern holds for drains too. A sink draining slowly is twenty minutes of work. Left until it stops entirely, on the evening you have people coming, it becomes an emergency call-out — and emergencies are where the cost is, not the plumbing.

The Ten-Minute Check Worth Doing Twice a Year

None of this needs tools:

• Look under every sink and behind the washing machine with a torch. You are looking for green or white crusting on joints, which is the sign of a slow weep.
• Check the ceiling below your bathroom for staining or a patch that looks slightly different.
• Run every tap and watch it drain. Slow is the early warning of blocked.
• Listen to the toilet for a minute after it refills. It should go silent.
• Check your boiler pressure gauge. If you are topping it up regularly, water is escaping somewhere.
• Turn your stopcock to make sure it has not seized. A stopcock that will not close is no use at all in an emergency.

Batch the Small Jobs Together

Because our first hour is always billable, one visit covering four small jobs costs far less than four visits covering one each. Keep a running list — the dripping tap, the loose toilet seat, the radiator that never gets hot — and book them in together.

What It Costs

Maintenance and repair work is £95 + VAT for the first hour, always billable, then £47.50 + VAT an hour after that. Materials are agreed with you before we fit or order them. A boiler service is separate, at a flat £95 + VAT.

Call 01732 792 454. We cover Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding Kent villages — see our plumbing services.