By part of the house
Plumbing maintenance checklist
Water is patient and water is expensive. These are the jobs that keep it where it belongs.
Check under-sink pipes & supply lines for leaks
Every 6 monthsWater damage is the #2 home insurance claim.
Flush water heater
Every 12 monthsSediment shortens its life and saps efficiency.
Inspect washing machine hoses
Every 12 monthsA burst hose floods the laundry in minutes.
Pump / inspect septic tank
Every 36 monthsSkip it and it backs up the drains.
Replace water heater anode rod
Every 48 monthsThe rod rusts so the tank doesn't. Spent, and the tank's next.
Test sump pump
Every 6 monthsThe day you need it is a bad day to find it dead.
Test well water
Every 12 monthsYou can't see contamination. Test for it.
Check toilets for silent leaks
Every 12 monthsA silent leak quietly runs up the water bill.
Refill water softener salt
Every 2 monthsOut of salt and the hard water comes back.
Replace fridge water filter
Every 6 monthsOld filters stop filtering anything.
Test main & fixture shut-off valves
Every 12 monthsSeized valves are useless in a burst-pipe panic.
Don't want to keep this list in your head?
Grumpty is a free home-maintenance app. Add these once and it tracks the dates, grumbles when each one's due, and sets the next occurrence the moment you mark it done.
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