The yearly plumbing checklist

The water heater, once a year

Flush the tank and check the anode rod. Annual flushing is the difference between a tank that lasts eight years and one that lasts twelve. Sediment is what makes the rumbling noise, and by the time you hear it, it is already costing capacity.

Tankless units need descaling once a year. Hard water makes that non-negotiable.

The main shutoff, once a year

Find it. Label it. Turn it off and back on. A valve that has not moved in ten years often will not close when you need it to, and a burst pipe is the wrong time to find that out.

Outside taps, every fall

Disconnect hoses and drain outside taps before the first freeze. A hose left on traps water in the tap, and the pipe behind it splits inside the wall where you cannot see it until spring.

Insulate pipe in exterior walls, crawl spaces and attics. Those freeze first in a DMV cold snap.

Under every sink, twice a year

Open the cabinet. Look for damp wood, stains or a drip on the supply lines. Braided supply lines fail at the crimp, and a small weep is the warning before a burst.

Toilets, once a year

Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait fifteen minutes without flushing. Color in the bowl means the flapper is leaking. Check the base too. A toilet that rocks is breaking its seal.

Water pressure, once a year

A pressure gauge on an outside tap answers it in a minute. Pressure that is too high shortens the life of every valve, fixture and appliance in the house, and it is what makes supply lines let go.

Call when you see these

• Water around the base of the water heater
• Rust-colored hot water
• A drain that gurgles when another fixture runs
• A water bill that jumped with no change in use
• Green or white crust on copper joints