Spring is fast approaching and the biting cold of winter is fading away. One of the oft-overlooked things that need your attention at home is your plumbing. The warm weather season requires that you take a different approach than you took during winter. You will need to do a bit of maintenance and repairs to your plumbing. For this, you will need to contact a “plumber near me”. Here are some spring plumbing tips to help you navigate the new season.
1. Testing Your Faucets
It is important to test your indoor and outdoor faucets to ensure they are in perfect working condition. When you first turn on your outdoor faucets, they will probably put out a bit if air. This is normal after the winter season, especially if the outdoor faucets were not in use. For indoor faucets, ensure you test the hot and cold faucets separately.
2. Inspecting Your Pipes
Pipe inspection is important especially immediately after winter. This is the time when the weather conditions and temperatures fluctuate. These changes can damage your pipes as they often lead to ruptures and leaks. Make sure to inspect your pipes and locate the shutoff valves. In case of any problems, shut off the water and contact a plumber immediately to avert a crisis.
3. Flushing Your Water Heater
At least once every year, it is recommended that you should flush your water heater. This helps to prolong the life of the heater and also to drain any sediments in the tank. Springtime is the best time to perform this maintenance task. One of the most important spring plumbing tips is resetting the temperature gauge of the heater to 120 degrees – lower than it was in winter.
4. Check Your Garden Hose
Spring season marks the return of gardening and yard maintenance. This means that you need a working hose to make this possible. Since your garden hose has not been used for a while, you need to reattach it to the supply, turn the water on, and check if it works. Look out for any leaks as this can cause a lot of water loss. Solve any issues the hose may have before you start using it again.
5. Test Your Sump Pump
The spring season also comes with a lot of rain. After all, April showers bring forth May flowers. With the rain comes a possibility of tones of issues for your plumbing. This is especially when your sump pump is not working. Test your sump pump to ensure it is in good working condition before the rains start. Take care of any necessary repairs or replacements before the first flash of rains. This is the best way to avoid having plumbing problem in spring.
The last thing you need is to have winter plumbing problems catch up with your spring. Ensure you have all issues checked out at the end of every season. This will not only offer you peace of mind but also prolong the life of your plumbing system.
