It always feels good to start the new year with everything in order, whether it be deep cleaning your home or recalculating your business budget. But what about your pipes? These are important assets that are integral to a well-functioning home or business and could cause major headaches if neglected.
By conducting effective yearly maintenance on your plumbing systems, you can help ensure that everything works the way it should and set yourself up for an easy-flowing year. Let’s investigate why this is important.
The importance of regular pipe and plumbing maintenance
More efficient functioning
When blockages, leaks or other damages are impacting your pipes, it means your plumbing system isn’t able to function effectively. This results in clogged toilets, overfilling drains, poor water pressure and other issues that you don’t want to be dealing with. One of the best ways you can boost the performance of your systems is by running through an effective pipe maintenance checklist each year.
Reduce the risk of costly problems
It doesn’t take much for minor plumbing problems to snowball into much bigger issues. For example, a small leak that goes undetected could turn into a burst pipeline that causes serious damages that are costly to remedy. If this issue is caught in its beginning stages thanks to your maintenance processes, you can prevent this from happening.
Lengthen the lifespan of your assets
When you look after your pipes, it can reduce the amount you need to spend on repairs and keep your assets viable for longer. Take a blocked drain – when this is cleared out it reduces the pressure on your pipes and keeps things running smoothly.
Be prepared for extreme weather
Extreme weather is unpredictable, so you want your pipes to be ready for anything. A lot of homes and businesses were impacted by major rainfall and flooding throughout 2022, so stormwater systems have a major part to play in avoiding or minimising damages. Ensuring important systems like this are in top condition can help put you in the best position and get your assets prepared for whatever comes their way.
Your plumbing maintenance checklist
Now that you know why you should conduct regular pipe maintenance, let’s discuss what you should do. These are our top 5 tips for ensuring your systems are ready for the year ahead.
1. Check for damage
We’ve established that regular pipe maintenance can help stop minor issues from becoming something more serious, so inspecting them for visible damage should be high on your list. Failure to do so could impact your water quality and cause contaminants to enter your water supply. Small cracks can also act as an entry point for tree roots to invade and clog your systems.
Make sure you check for cracks, holes and any other problems. You can use a flashlight to look inside and gain some visibility. It’s also a good idea to call in a professional to do this for you. Nuflow uses industry-leading CCTV technology in our inspections, which allows us to clearly identify the cause and location of any problems.
2. Test for leaks
Leaking pipes are a common problem. They can cause water waste, mould growth, low water pressure and, in extreme cases, structural damage to your home or business. An obvious sign is water stains on walls, floors or ceilings, along with dripping taps. You can also use leak detection kits or turn off your water supply and check your meter. From there, you can call in a professional to help remedy the problem.
3. Get things cleaned and cleared
Clogs and blocked drains are often caused by the build-up of everyday debris like dirt, hair, soap scum, or grease and oil. It’s unavoidable that these items will make their way into your pipes, but you can stop them from majorly impacting your systems.
Start the year with regular cleaning that clears out this debris and minimises the build-up within your pipes. As things make their way into your systems, there’s less for them to add to and thus less chance that your pipes will become clogged. At Nuflow, we make use of a high pressure cleaner that blasts away any blockages and leaves your pipes clear.
4. Inspect your water pressure
Problems with water pressure can be caused by a variety of issues, including obstructions, leaks, corroded pipes or even damage to your water main. When left unchecked, unbalanced water pressure can cause burst pipes and very high water bills. That makes it important to keep an eye on your water pressure.
You can do this by inspecting your taps and showerheads, or even using a pressure gauge on your pipe valves. If you do notice an issue, you should contact a professional to inspect your pipes and remedy the source of the problem.
5. Inspect for corrosion
Aging and corroded pipes can be your worst enemy. Not only do they impact how well your systems function, they have a high risk of bursting. Signs of a corroded pipe might be blue or green deposits, rust, or just general wear and tear. If you see any indication of this, you should contact a professional to get things fixed.
Rather than paying for the expense of a full replacement, you can contact Nuflow and enquire about pipe relining. This no-dig solution creates a new, stronger pipe within your aging assets and can even improve your flow rates. We have a range of products suited to different assets, and we’ll use our expertise to find the best fit for you.
Get on top of your plumbing maintenance with Nuflow
We’re well-equipped to help you make sure your systems are set for 2023. Our friendly team can drop by anytime and work with you as we tick off your pipe maintenance checklist. Reach out to your local Nuflow today to book your yearly maintenance check.
