The Ultimate Home Maintenance Guide – Part 4 of 7 – Plumbing
If you’ve just bought your first home, sooner or later the question will dawn on you…what do I have to do to maintain it? Or perhaps you’re a long-time home owner and have been blindsided by expensive repairs. Even the wisest among us have been guilty of underestimating the cost of home maintenance and repairs. The changing weather conditions of our amazing location in central Ontario present a variety of challenges you want to stay on top of as the seasons change.
In this seven-part series, we will be laying out the ultimate home maintenance guide (Romana King, Money Sense). Use this guide and feel confident that you have done everything possible to keep your house in top condition, avoid larger costs that result from poor maintenance, and have a budget plan in place so you’re not caught off guard by expensive repairs.
In the fourth installment of our seven-part series, we will focus on plumbing.
PLUMBING
Annually
Test faucets regularly for pressure and leaks. Replace rubber washers at the first sign of drips.
Once a year. $20
Top up floor drains. These are the U-shaped pipes under sinks that prevent sewer gas, like methane, from seeping into your home. Pour a quarter cup of mineral oil down the drain, where it will settle in the U and slow the rate of evaporation of the water in the pipe’s bend.
Once a year. $10
Test shut-off valves as the valve can corrode into place, meaning you cannot turn off water in an emergency. Determine where your valves are. Check each water fixture for a valve, and locate the master shut-off.
Annually. $0
Clean debris from outside drains.
Once or twice per year. $0
Test hot water pressure valve
Annually. $0
As Necessary
Update plumbing.
One-time cost. $4,000 to $10,000
Replace hot water heater.
Replace gas heaters every 8-12 years, electric heaters every 10-15 years.
$250-$1,500
Install or replace sump pump
Every 4 to 6 years. $300 to $1,600
Insulate cold and hot water pipes.
One-time cost. $150