Most tank water heaters should be flushed about once a year, especially in hard water areas. Here is when to flush and when to call a plumber.
Check a tank water heater anode rod every 2 to 3 years. Replace it when it is heavily corroded or mostly consumed.
A popping or rumbling tank water heater usually means sediment or scale buildup. Check for leaks, rusty water, weak hot water, and when flushing is safe.
If your sump pump isn't working, check power, the float switch, water test, pit debris, discharge line, check valve, backup power, and when to call service.
Many tankless water heaters need descaling about once a year, especially in hard water areas. Here is when to do it and when to call a pro.
Test a sump pump battery backup before rainy season, major storms, travel, or any alarm so you know the backup pump can run when needed.
How often to inspect shower caulk, what failed caulk looks like, and when staining points to a deeper moisture problem.
How to find, label, and safely test your main water shutoff before a plumbing emergency.
A simple under sink leak checklist for supply valves, drains, cabinet floors, and slow hidden drips.
How to inspect a toilet supply line, shutoff valve, and connector before a small drip becomes floor damage.
Most homes should pump the septic tank every 3 to 5 years. The right interval depends on tank size, household size, water use, and whether you run a garbage disposal.
Water under a tank water heater usually means a drip from the drain valve, water dripping from connections above, or the tank itself has corroded through. The first two are often fixable. The third means replacement.
Start by figuring out whether the water heater has power or gas, and whether the issue is whole-house or one fixture. Gas: check the pilot. Electric: check the breaker and reset button. Tankless: error code.
The four common reasons hot water runs out faster than it used to: sediment buildup, a broken dip tube mixing cold and hot, a failing lower heating element on electric heaters, or a tank too small for current demand.
The Department of Energy recommends 120°F for most US households. Hot enough for normal use, cuts standby energy loss, and reduces scald risk for kids and older adults.
A septic system depends on bacteria breaking down waste and a drain field absorbing the liquid. Wipes, grease, chemicals, and food waste either kill the bacteria or clog the drain field.
The early signs of drain field trouble are visible from the yard: unusually green or lush grass over the field, soggy ground after dry weather, standing water, sewage odor, and slow drains throughout the house.
The CDC and EPA recommend testing private well water at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH. Test more often if there's a baby, pregnancy, or anyone immunocompromised in the house.
Check the brine tank monthly and refill when the salt level drops below half the tank. Most households add a 40 to 50 pound bag every 4 to 8 weeks.
For trips longer than 3 days, turn the water heater dial to Vacation mode or drop the thermostat. For trips longer than a week, also shut off the cold water supply. Don't fully shut the heater off unless you drain it.
Check the well pressure tank's air pre-charge yearly. The correct pre-charge is 2 psi below the pressure switch cut-in. If the pump short-cycles or the tank sounds solid when tapped, the bladder is waterlogged and the tank needs replacement.
Every fall before first freeze, disconnect garden hoses from all outdoor faucets and test that water drains. Frost-free sillcocks should drain on their own when shut off; traditional spigots need an interior shutoff valve closed and the spigot opened to drain.
An annual plumbing check-up finds small leaks before they flood a room: test the main shutoff, flush the water heater, inspect washer hoses, and check water pressure.
In a hard-water home, descale once a year: flush the water heater, soak the showerhead and aerators, clear the dishwasher jets, and descale the coffee maker.
In an apartment, a leak can lose a deposit and flood the unit below. Prevent it: inspect the washer hoses, check toilets, flush the water heater, and find your shutoff.
Water is the most common and most expensive home disaster. Here's where it comes from and the low-cost way to prevent each source, from shutoffs to leak sensors.
A leaking water heater? The leak's location tells you the cause. Top fittings and drain valves often fix cheap; pooling underneath means replace the tank.