Basement Plumbing Tips From Our Salinas Plumbers

Plumbing Tips For The Basement

Our simple tips are made to keep your plumbing system in the basement running efficiently.  These tips may not solve every single problem, but it will assist home and business owners alike to be proactive in how they service their own plumbing systems.  The basement is usually the place to keep a large fixture, such as a water heater.  This is because it takes up a lot of space and it's not the prettiest thing to look at when walking into a home.

​It's imperative to check in on your water heater every once in a while to see it's condition and hear for any "funny" noises. If you find yourself at a point where you have exhausted all your search options online to do-it-yourself, don't forget we are always just a phone call away, and a professional, licensed plumber will be on the way to help!

Check Your Basement

  • Check your water heater temperature and make sure that it does not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit. There are several reasons for this, the first being that you will reduce the risk of scalding by keeping the temperatures low.  Also, you will reduce you energy cost by 5% every 10 degrees that you lower your water heater.
  • Do not keep other flammable liquids close to the location of the water heater.  Each water heater should have about 2 feet of clearance from stored equipment.  
  • Drain the tank in the water heater a couple times a year to remove the sediments and minerals that settle in the tank.  Hook up a hose to the water heater and drain the water into the bucket.  If the water is cloudy then rinse and repeat.  This will also prevent corrosion and reduce heating efficiency. 
  • Check for small leaks in the valve. This can be done by discharging the temperature-pressure relief valve.  Do this multiple times while keeping an eye out for possible leaks near the valve.
  • Turn off all water lines within the home or business and check your water meter.  Write down the number and leave all water lines OFF for at least 30 minutes.  Check back in with the water meter and write down the number you see the second time.  If the number is different the second time around, then it's possible that you have a leak somewhere in the house
  • IF you suspect to have a water leak in the house somewhere.  Turn off all water lines and run one appliance at a time while checking the lines for possible leaks. 
  • Leaving on vacation?  Turn your water heater system to "vacation" mode which maintains the water heaters pilot light without heating the water.  This will save you costs and it will also cut down on energy.

Plumbing Tips From The Best Plumbers In Salinas

Your water heaters work hard for you. They deliver warm showers, hot baths and help get the most stubborn stains off of your favorite dishes and silverware.  These luxuries are the reason why you need to work hard for your water heaters.  Give it some tender loving care and you will reap the benefits for years to come.  Simple maintenance checks will make your plumbing system run as efficiently as possible.  Get the most out of your plumbing by following our helpful plumbing hints!