Spring Plumbing Basics for Maintenance
Spring is not only a great time for cleaning but it is also a great time to inspect your plumbing after a long rough winter and to do some routine maintenance on it too. Despite the fact that most people’s homes are full of plumbing and it is an integral part of their everyday life, the plumbing in a home often gets very little maintenance attention until a problem happens. These helpful spring plumbing tips will do the vital plumbing in your home a lot of good and could potentially save you a large amount of money on your yearly water bill too.
Outside Inspection
It’s a good idea to start your spring plumbing maintenance by checking all your outside plumbing to see how your plumbing made it through the harsh winter. Make sure any exposed pipes have no visible cracks or breaks in them; do this before any plumbing that you were able to shut off is turned back on. Once turned on make sure they are not leaking or dripping.
Check your toilets for leaks
Inspect all the toilets in your home for signs of problems. While you are at it place a little food coloring in the top of each toilet tank; if you start to see the food coloring in the toilet bowl you should replace or adjust the inner workings of your toilet tank because it is leaking. Even a little amount of water leaking over the course of a year can add up to big money on your water bill.
Sink maintenance and Drain Maintenance
Make sure your sinks are not leaking or dripping and make sure you check underneath them for this too. Even minor leaks or drips should be taken care of promptly. Make sure that all the drain screens and grates are covering the drain openings too. It is a great idea to flush each drain thoroughly with a bucket of very hot water too to clean out any small clogs that might already be forming in them.
Check your appliance hoses
Appliance hoses are often much neglected and get weak over time. Check washer, ice maker and dishwasher hoses for stress cracks and bulging and replace as necessary; it can avoid a significant flooding event in your home.
High Water Bills
Maybe your water bills have been steadily going up but your usage seems to be the same and there has been no price hike; this could be the result of a hidden leak someplace. One great way to see if you have a leak or not is to make sure you don’t use any water overnight; be vigilant and try not to use the bathroom too. Take a reading of your water meter after your daily water use is done and then take another the next morning. If the meter has moved at all you can assume there is a leak someplace.
All of these steps will go a very long way to ensure your plumbing is healthy at the start of Spring.