Plumbing is the system whose failures cost most relative to the equipment involved, because the damage is rarely to the pipe. A failed sump pump or a corroded water heater does its harm to everything around it, and almost all of that is preventable by inspection of items that give clear warning long in advance.
The system round
A plumbing preventive maintenance checklist for a building covers visible pipework for corrosion and weeping joints, isolation valves exercised so they still work when needed, water pressure at representative points, backflow devices where fitted, traps and drains, and any pump set. Plumbing system maintenance is mostly this: looking at things that are otherwise never looked at, and operating valves that seize precisely because nobody touches them between emergencies.
Water heaters and softeners
What preventive maintenance on a hot water heater includes: checking and operating the temperature and pressure relief valve, inspecting the anode where the design has one, flushing sediment, and checking the flue and combustion on gas units. A water heater maintenance checklist that omits the relief valve has omitted the safety item. The tankless water heater maintenance checklist is different in emphasis, dominated by descaling on a frequency set by water hardness, and the water softener maintenance checklist is mostly salt level, brine tank condition and a regeneration check.
Drains, sumps and the things that flood
Sump pump maintenance is the highest-consequence item in this whole area, because a sump pump that fails is discovered during the event it existed to prevent. A sump pump maintenance checklist should include an operational test by raising the float, a check of the discharge and non-return valve, and the backup power arrangement where one exists. Sewer line maintenance and sewer system maintenance are largely about scheduled clearing on lines with a known history, and toilet maintenance about the silent leaks that waste water invisibly for months.
Questions people ask about plumbing preventive maintenance
What belongs on a plumbing preventive maintenance round?
Visible pipework for corrosion and weeping, isolation valves exercised, pressure at representative points, backflow devices, traps and drains, and any pump set.
What does water heater preventive maintenance include?
Operating the temperature and pressure relief valve, inspecting the anode where fitted, flushing sediment, and checking flue and combustion on gas units. A checklist without the relief valve omits the safety item.
Why is sump pump maintenance so important?
Because failure is discovered during the flood it existed to prevent. Test it by raising the float, check the discharge and non-return valve, and verify any backup power arrangement.