You might be wondering about the best plumbing tips to help spring. Spring can bring sunny days, but also rainy ones. It may seem counterintuitive, but spring can bring heavy rains that can damage your plumbing.
Heavy rains that bring May flowers can cause blockages in your drains and drag down your gutters. Winter weather can also cause damage to your pipes. You should give your entire plumbing system a thorough inspection so you don’t spend extra on leaking equipment.
These plumbing tips will help you keep your plumbing in order for spring so that you have plenty of fun when it comes to summer.
Top 5 Plumbing Tips For Spring
Check for leaks in appliances
It’s a good idea to inspect all appliances for leaks when spring comes. Pipes can freeze and thaw multiple times during winter, creating cracks and leaks that you didn’t know about. Leaky pipes can lead to unnecessary increases in your monthly plumbing bills. A simple inspection could help you save money.
You should inspect your kitchen, bathroom, washer, dryer, and any other places you have them. Add dye to the water and check your bathroom for leaks. Your tank may be leaking if the dye turns yellow within 30 minutes.
You should also inspect your outdoor appliances for any leakages. Leakages may occur in your home when you use the sprinkler or hose. If you notice leaks, it is likely that your pipes have frozen and broken over the winter. You should contact a plumber.
Make sure your water heater is working properly
While winter is a wonderful time to take hot baths or showers, it’s important that you lower the water heater’s temperature when it changes season. Your water heater should not heat up to 120 degrees F. Temperatures higher than this will cause scorching hot water to run down your lines, and possibly burn your skin.
This will reduce your heater’s energy consumption. You should also drain several gallons from the heater. This will get rid of any sediment buildup that could cause corrosion. The heater’s efficiency will be reduced if there is sediment buildup. This can also reduce the heater’s lifespan.
Clean gutters and downspouts
Your outdoor plumbing systems can be affected by gutters. Cleaning your gutters is one of the best plumbing tips for spring. It is important to clean your gutters and yard drains each season.
This could lead to debris freezing in your gutters and your home being ripped off. Make sure to clean out your downspouts. Water buildup around your foundation can cause sweating walls, water seeping out of the foundation and even a damp basement.
Take a look at the Sump Pump
Sump pumps are often found in basements and crawl spaces. Sump pumps are installed at the bottom of your home to prevent basement flooding. The sump pump will drain excess water from your basement and transfer it to a storm drain.
To check that the system works properly, simply pour water into it. This is a great opportunity to clean your sump pumps. It is possible for your sump pump to become clogged up and cause problems with its ability to drain. For more information on how to clean your sump pump, consult your owner’s manual. If the pump is not running and there is no water, you may need to call a plumber.
For slow drainage, check the outdoor drains and floor drains
Slow drainage is a problem if you have any drains in your yard or floor drains. These drains can become clogged from debris. The winter months are the worst time to damage outdoor drains. These drains should be cleared of debris using the top drain cleaning solutions. Also, make sure your sprinkler systems are clean and free of dirt, grass or any other debris. Make sure that sprinkler heads are working as they should. Replace any damaged ones.
Exercise Water Main Valve
If your plumbing is working fine, then it’s likely that your water main valve was left open for a while. An open water main valve is a functional plumbing system. However, it’s a good idea to close and open it periodically to ensure that it can be closed easily. It can be difficult to turn off a valve that has been open too long. This simple procedure will ensure that your water main valve closes smoothly.