Spring is the perfect time to begin sprucing up around your home. The end of winter means the weather isn’t as cold outdoors, but because it’s not summer yet, external temperatures are still cool enough to make outdoor work bearable. This is the perfect time to begin making minor improvements, updates, and seasonal maintenance inspections to your home and appliances. Your plumbing works very hard during the winter months, so when spring arrives it’s the perfect opportunity to begin getting out of the house more and cleaning up your property. Plumbing maintenance is a great place to begin your spring-cleaning checklist.
- Inspect Outdoor Drains & Gutters: From late fall through winter, the elements can wreak havoc on your outdoor drainage system. You may find that leaves and debris have infiltrated your outdoor drains and gutters preventing the free flowing of drainage water away from your home.
- Faucet Maintenance: Checking your faucets for leaks is always a good idea, and don’t forget to check your outdoor faucets. Our weather in Northern California may not see many hard ground freezes each winter, but all it takes is one to crack your outdoor pipes. If your outdoor faucet drips instead of flows once you turn it on, that’s a sign it’s cracked. You will need to call a plumbing professional to repair your pipes.
- Check Your Toilets: Leaks in and around your toilet bowl can quickly cause problems you don’t need. Toilets are heavily used fixtures within in a home, so they are prone to leaks and normal wear and tear issues. You should inspect the toilet bowls in and around the base and the flusher. Dripping water can lead to damages from sitting water and moisture imbalances within your home. Mold and water damage are always a concern where there are plumbing leaks, so inspect this fixture carefully.
- Give Your Water Supply Valve a Spin: If you’ve ever had to do simple repairs work on your sink or toilet, you will know that your water supply valve is a convenient alternative to shutting down water to your entire home. However, if you don’t use the valve often, it can become stuck in the off position. If you occasionally give it a spin, you can ensure it won’t become too stiff to use.
- Drain Your Water Heater: Even if you don’t have hard water, your water heater can still suffer from sediment buildup. You can avoid buildup by occasionally draining a few gallons from your system to remove the sediment. While you are draining your system, you should also take this opportunity to check the temperature settings of your water heater. It should be set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the optimal setting to clean, shower, and save on energy spending.
With a few easy maintenance tips, your plumbing system will be prepared to serve you well through the summer months. The compiled list is just a starting point. If you notice other items during your inspection that you can easily complete, add them to your list. Keeping your plumbing system healthy and working hard for you is smart preventative maintenance. By adding these five tasks to your spring cleaning regime, you can ensure your plumbing is in good shape come summer.
If you’re not sure that you can perform all the maintenance items on the list, we can help! The team at All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical can help keep your plumbing running smoothly. Call our experienced plumbers today at (909) 552-7550 to schedule an appointment.