It’s March and Spring Cleaning time is upon us!
We clean and de-clutter our homes in the spring but how many of us include plumbing maintenance in our routines?
Here are ways to give your plumbing a little TLC after a long cold winter. If you neglect your plumbing duties, you may find yourself requiring Rowville’s leading residential plumbing service once your pipes and gutters have been hit by the Winter.
Exterior Home
Cleaning gutters isn’t a commonly favourite chore, but it needs to be done at least every spring. In addition to clearing leaves and debris from your gutters, don’t forget to clean the downspouts. These can get clogs too! A plumber’s auger can be used to clean downspouts to prevent leaks and water damage. To stop your gutters getting clogged completely, you might want to look into something such as these Mastershield Gutter Guards that allow utters to collect rainfall as normal, without allowing any debris or leaves to enter the gutters at the same time.
Check for birds’ nests in outdoor vents!
Inspect exterior hose bibs and faucets for signs of wear and tear. Make sure water can run freely. If there is no flow, it could indicate you have a cracked pipe caused by freezing weather. Hosebibs can also be replaced or repaired if they are not functioning adequately.
Basement and Crawlspace
When is the last time you paid attention to your water heater? Spring is a great time for an annual hot water tank flush. Sediment and debris should be flushed at least once a year to protect against corrosion and leaks. Flushing your water heater can add life to your hot water tank merely by performing this simple task. Also check to make sure there are no flammable chemicals or objects stored close to or on top of your tank, and clear any dust in the area.
Furnace filters should be changed twice a year in the fall and spring.
Check the pipes in your basement and crawlspace for signs of leaks. Turn your main water valves to make sure they move to open and close easily. Water valves can seize from lack of use so perform this check each year. When you have an emergency and the water needs to be turned off quickly, and the last thing you want is a shut-off valve that won’t move! In the event of an emergency, you will want to get hold of plumbers, like the Boulden Brothers, to come and handle the situation – https://bouldenbrothers.com/boulden-plumbing/
Interior Home
Check under your kitchen and bathroom sinks for leaks. Supply hoses for the dishwasher and washing machine should be looked at for wear and age as well. It is better to change an aging supply hose before it causes a problem than to find that your laundry room has flooded because the hose burst while you were away.
Test your toilet for leaks by putting a couple of drops of green or blue food colouring in the tank and wait about 20 minutes. (Don’t flush.) If the water in the bowl becomes coloured of coloured water drips down the tank or bowl, your toilet is leaking.
Book your Spring Plumbing Inspection today! Call Water Heater Rescue at 604-628-3333
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