Routine Plumbing Maintenance Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

South Florida can be described as a land of extremes. Extreme leisure meets extreme humidity and extreme sunshine with the (not so odd) extreme tropical hurricane. Whether you like it or not, it’s a place that has got the power to dish out a few serious blows, and the South Florida homeowner would be well advised to learn a few preventative home maintenance tips.

Whether you’re high up in a condo with a beach view or soaking up the sun in one of Boca Raton’s sprawling suburban estates, you will need to perform some routine plumbing maintenance to avoid some pretty disastrous events that could turn into a hefty bill. We’ve put together this guide that will help the Florida homeowner make the most of their plumbing installations. We’ll provide some inspection tips and then also some preventive options to consider.

South Florida’s Hard Water Problem

Almost all of South Florida’s groundwater comes from an enormous limestone aquifer, known as the Biscayne aquifer. It is able to provide the citizens with ample water, but it comes with an important caveat. The water is really “hard”, which means that it has a lot of dissolved calcium and magnesium in it.

Limescale Buildup

Limescale buildup is the gradual and slow deposition of calcium and magnesium onto the walls of your pipes and within the working parts of your faucets, shower heads, and aerators. This buildup eventually narrows the plumbing ways and causes blockages and flow restrictions. In severe cases, it will eventually destroy faucets, water heater elements, and toilet fill valves.

Maintenance Check

Check your faucet aerators, toilet tanks, and shower heads regularly to look for any white limescale deposits. In cases where you can, remove the part and soak it in vinegar overnight to dissolve some of the deposits.

Preventative Upgrade

Consider contacting a reputable local plumber to install a water filtration system. The filtration system will purify your home’s water supply and remove the hard water elements, as well as improve the taste. It will be healthier for you, too!

Sewer Check Before Hurricane Season

When it rains in South Florida, it’s a deluge. Whether a simple thunderstorm or hurricane-force windstorms, the rain can come hard, and heavily. This sudden influx of water can put a lot of strain on sewer lines. If they are clogged with garden debris or tree roots, a localized flood could occur as the water battles to drain from your property into the main municipal sewer line. If you have a septic tank on your property, then if it can’t drain effectively because of blocked drains, the water will back up into your home and pose a serious health risk to you and your family.

Preventive Maintenance

Firstly, clear your yard of any loose or unkept garden debris, especially around the drain paths. Ficus and Banyan trees are commonplace in South Florida, and their roots are known to infiltrate the nutrient-rich sewer lines and block them within an impenetrable web of root systems. If you hear gurgling sounds when flushing the toilet or they take a long time to drain, then you need to contact a plumber to come do a video camera inspection of your sewer line.

Garbage Disposal Units And Kitchen Drains

Because of the warm temperatures and high humidity levels in South Florida, organic matter that collects in drains can often turn into a stinky situation if mold and mildew set in. Remember to avoid putting fibrous vegetables such as celery, rhubarb, and onion skins into the garbage disposal, as these can wrap around the rotor and cause issues. Grease and coffee grounds will also cause the drain to back up as they create a plug in the line.

Preventive Maintenance

Every other week and at least once a month, you can try pouring equal parts of baking soda, followed by vinegar, into the drain. Let it fizz around for 10 minutes, and then flush that down with some hot or boiling water. This will help to get rid of the bacteria that cause the bad odors in your drain and break up the soap scum. Since you are using natural household substances, they are not as harsh on your pipes as the strong and damaging commercial chemicals that are often advertised. If your garbage disposal unit is making unusual noises, perhaps it’s time to consider getting the garbage disposal system repaired or a new one installed.

Slab Leaks

Slab leaks are a common occurrence in South Florida, as so many homes are built on a concrete slab that covers over the main water lines to your home. The problem with this setup is that it makes it difficult for homeowners to detect if anything is wrong. There are some early warning signs that you should act on as soon as you see them. Failing to act expeditiously could result in a huge and costly repair job being necessary for your concrete slab. As the lines are constantly exposed to the Florida climate, which is salty and humid, the lines can corrode easily.

Here are some signs to watch out for:

• The sound of running water when all the faucets are turned off
• A warm spot on the floor (hot water leak)
• A sudden, unexplained increase in your water bill – if you’re paying attention!

Professional Preventive Maintenance

If you are at all unsure of whether there’s a leak in the slab, then it’s best to contact your local plumber to come and do a slab leak detection, as the cost of repairing a slab leak pales in comparison with the cost of a slab repair.