Spring Cleaning: Inside Plumbing Tricks

Posted by canadaplumberz-t on February 21, 2019

In our last spring cleaning post, we focused on the outdoors. Now that you have that taken care of, it’s time to head inside, show spring around, and let it get comfortable for the next few months. Here are a few ways to prepare your home for the season.

Check for drips, leaks, and cracks.

Winter is tough on your plumbing system, between added guests around the holidays and weather. With those arctic-like temps in January came a lot of frozen and burst pipe calls. Give the following spots a once-over:

pipes, especially exposed ones (garage, crawl space, etc.)
toilets, both tank and bowl. Tip: Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl a half hour later, you may have a hidden leak.
appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, washer). Check the hoses, too—cracked or bulging hoses need to be replaced.

Inspect your water heater.

We wrote some water heater posts on getting your system ready for winter, and many of those tips apply for the spring, too. Did you turn up the temperature setting on those extra-cold days and neglect to turn it back down? Adjust it back down to reduce energy use.

Water heater systems require yearly maintenance for optimum performance and to ensure longevity. Did you have that on your to-do list leading into winter but didn’t manage to get to it? Review our checklist for water heater maintenance and give it a spring refresh instead.

Clear out drains.

Winter comes with a lot of stuff: more dirt, more salt, more food down the disposal, and more opportunities for gunk to get caught in the various drains around the house. This is a good time to do some drain maintenance. Look for slow-clearing drains (but don’t do these things if they’re clogged) and pour some water down infrequently-used drains. If you don’t already have drain catchers, consider putting them in (we reviewed the best drain catchers of 2017 here). Clean out the washing machine lint trap, too.

Check on your sump pump.

Lots of rain and a little bit of snow equals overtime for your sump pump every winter. Pour a big bucket of water into the pump to activate it, then watch to make sure it does what it’s supposed to—that is, shut off when water goes below the shutoff level. Make sure there aren’t any cracks in the basin and that nothing is stuck inside the pit, valve, or discharge line. Lastly, clean it out: Run a vinegar solution through it.

Did You Spot a Plumbing Problem? Call Us.

If you find leaks, can’t clear a drain, need water heater assistance, or come across sump pump trouble, give us a call. We serve a 25-mile radius around Charlotte and have been helping customers since 1997. Give us a call at (704) 859-0510 or use our contact form. Find out why our motto is “Serviced Once, Client for Life.”

source: here

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