Plumbing Maintenance Checklist: 8 Checks for Leaks and Equipment

A useful plumbing check has a clear stopping point. Looking for a leak is reasonable. Forcing an old valve, opening a septic tank, or adjusting pressurized equipment without its instructions is not.

The schedule below covers common household plumbing. Use only the sections that match the home. The installed equipment manual, local water utility, health department, and qualified plumber control details that a general checklist cannot know.

Inspect water supply hoses and connections

Every six months, inspect accessible washing-machine inlet hoses for bulges, kinks, cuts, wear, corrosion, or moisture. Do not pull the machine far enough to strain a hose or cord. Whirlpool tells owners of many models to replace inlet hoses after five years and sooner when damage appears, but the installed washer instructions should set the hose type and interval.

Once a year, extend the check to accessible connections at sinks, toilets, dishwashers, refrigerators, and water-treatment equipment. EPA's leak checklist calls out pooling water, rust, and moisture around these connections. Stop using a leaking fixture and close its local shutoff if that can be done safely. A corroded valve, an inaccessible line, or a connection you cannot identify belongs to a plumber.

Locate the main water shutoff

Everyone in the household should know where the main water valve is. Label it and keep the approach clear. The American Red Cross includes knowing how to close it in household emergency preparation.

Before operating the valve, inspect it and the nearby pipe. Do not force a stiff, corroded, or deteriorated valve with a wrench. If the valve and its instructions permit a test, close it gently, confirm that flow stops, reopen it, and look for leaks. Plan around appliances that require water. Have a plumber evaluate a valve that will not move normally or does not stop flow.

A smart shutoff needs its own review every six months. Check its app for offline status, failed health checks, updates, and valve faults. Run only the built-in test documented by that manufacturer; do not create an uncontrolled leak to test it.

Use the meter and toilet dye to find hidden use

For a municipal-water home, choose a two-hour period when no fixture, appliance, irrigation zone, ice maker, or treatment device will run. Record the water meter, use no water, then read it again. EPA WaterSense says a changed reading probably indicates a leak, but it does not identify the source. First rule out an expected device cycle, then inspect or ask the utility or a plumber for help. Do not open or alter the utility meter.

To check a toilet, add a dye tablet or a few drops of food coloring to the tank. Wait 10 minutes without flushing. Color in the bowl means the flapper or flush-valve seal leaks. Flush promptly to prevent staining. Match replacement parts to the toilet, and investigate continuous running or overflow-tube flow instead of assuming the flapper is the only fault.

Test a sump pump without reaching into a live pit

Every three months, use the pump or controller manual's test method. Some manuals permit adding water until the float reaches its normal activation level. Others provide a test control. From a dry position, verify that the pump starts, lowers the water, stops, and discharges normally. Keep hands and tools out of the pit while power is connected.

Disconnect every power source before an inspection that reaches into the basin. Do not enter the pit, open electrical equipment, or handle a system exposed to sewage. Liberty Pumps' backup-system manual separates power isolation, debris and float checks, pump operation, and GFCI testing for this reason.

For a battery backup, follow its controller and battery instructions. Check alerts, charger status, test results, terminals, and the battery enclosure. Flooded lead-acid and AGM batteries do not share the same maintenance procedure. Replacement age also depends on the exact system; a universal three-year rule is not appropriate.

Prepare outdoor faucets for freezing weather

Before freezing weather, remove, drain, and store hoses. Identify whether each faucet is frost-resistant and whether the line has a dedicated indoor shutoff and drain. Red Cross guidance says to close an installed indoor valve, open the outdoor faucet, and leave it open so remaining water has room to expand. Follow the plumbing or faucet instructions; do not force an unknown valve or assume a foam cover replaces draining.

At the first spring use, keep the hose disconnected and pressurize each line slowly. Watch the outside faucet and any accessible inside piping. If water appears indoors, pressure drops, or the valve leaks, close the dedicated shutoff when safe and call a plumber. Do not continue operating a line that may be split behind the wall.

Inspect accessible pipe insulation before cold weather too. Replace damaged sections using the insulation instructions and required clearances. Do not disturb suspect asbestos-containing material, work beside a hot flue, or enter an unsafe crawl space or attic.

Check service pressure with context

EPA WaterSense identifies 45 to 60 psi as an efficient range for household fixtures and describes checking static pressure with all water use off and a gauge attached to a hose bibb. The 2024 International Plumbing Code requires pressure reduction when building pressure exceeds 80 psi, but local adoption, utility conditions, well equipment, and installed fixtures still matter.

Record the reading rather than adjusting anything. Ask a licensed plumber to evaluate pressure that stays outside the home's expected range, changes sharply, or exceeds 80 psi. A regulator, well-pump control, or pressurized tank is not a trial-and-error adjustment.

Keep well-water testing separate from equipment service

For a private well, CDC recommends annual testing by a state-certified laboratory for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH. Ask the local health department what else matters in the area. Test again after flooding, land disturbance, nearby waste activity, well repair, a change in taste, color, or smell, pregnancy, or a child joining the household. Clear water is not proof of safe water.

The annual equipment check is different. Look for leaks, corrosion, unusual sound, rapid cycling, low pressure, and control alerts. Well pumps, switches, and wiring belong to a qualified well professional. Only check pressure-tank precharge if the exact manual provides an owner procedure. Amtrol's instructions require disconnecting pump power and draining water pressure to zero before the air reading is checked.

Use qualified septic service

EPA recommends that a typical household septic system receive professional inspection at least every three years; systems with pumps, floats, or mechanical parts generally need more frequent service. Pumping depends on measured sludge and scum, household use, tank size, and local requirements. EPA's current septic-care guidance explains those factors.

Between service visits, inspect the drainfield only from the surface. Look for pooling, unusually wet ground, sewage odor, surfacing wastewater, erosion, vehicle traffic, structures, or deep-rooted plants. Keep roof, driveway, and sump discharge away from the field. Never open or enter a tank.

Check visible risers and lids without lifting, standing on, or leaning over them. A questionable cover and an installed effluent filter both belong to a qualified septic provider. If sewage surfaces or drains back up, reduce water use, keep people and pets away, and contact the local health authority or service provider.

Common questions

Should every washer hose be replaced after five years?

Many Whirlpool manuals specify five years, but the installed washer and hose instructions control. Replace any hose sooner when it is kinked, cut, bulging, worn, corroded, or leaking. Do not assume that a braided exterior makes a damaged hose safe.

Does every home use the same water-pressure range?

No. EPA WaterSense uses 45 to 60 psi as an efficient target for household fixtures. The correct result also depends on the utility or well system, local code, regulator, and installed equipment. Treat a measurement as information for diagnosis, not permission to adjust the system.

Can I pour a bucket into every sump pit?

Only if the installed manual permits that test. Use enough water to reach the normal activation level, stay dry, and keep hands and tools out of a powered pit. Use the controller's test function when its manual specifies one.

Can I clean a septic effluent filter myself?

SeasonKeep assigns that task to a qualified septic provider. Opening a tank exposes the owner to falls, wastewater, and potentially dangerous atmospheres. Coordinate filter service with the system inspection or pumping visit.

SeasonKeep uses the systems and climate recorded for the home to schedule the applicable reminders. The reminder starts the check; the installed manual and local professional determine the procedure. Build a free schedule when you want the tasks placed on a calendar.