‘Spring Clean’ Your Plumbing

How to ‘Spring Clean’ Your Plumbing

Spring weather is coming in slowly but surely, and as it does so, it’s important for home and business owners to do a little spring cleaning. This includes your plumbing. Hopefully, you took some steps to winterize your plumbing and to prepare it for the colder elements of the last few months. Now comes the time to revert your plumbing back to regular spring use, and to make sure everything is in good working order for the months to come.

How? Just follow some of the quick steps we’ve outlined below.

Head Outside

Start with a few quick outside tips:

Check your drains, spouts, and gutters for any blockage or obstruction. If you’ve got a drain or gutter that’s clogged with twigs and debris, it’s going to lead to trouble once the spring rains begin. Make sure everything is unclogged and in good working order.
Once frost and freezing temperatures are off the forecast, uncover all outside faucets and reconnect your hoses.
If you’ve got a crawlspace, head down there just to make sure there aren’t any slow leaks, drips, or puddles of water that need to be checked out.

Inside the Home

From there, you’ll be ready to check a few quick things inside.

Go around to each bathroom, kitchen, and garage faucet, checking for leaks and having any leaks that you find repaired.
You can also check for hidden toilet leaks. Put a couple drops of food colouring in the tank and then wait half an hour; if you then see that food colouring in the bowl, it means you’ve got a leak that needs to be fixed!
Check the toilets to ensure they flush properly. If you have to shake or hold the handle, you may wish to just have the mechanism replaced, which is a simple task.
Clean your showerheads, removing mineral deposits and scum. Tie a Ziploc bag filled with white vinegar around the showerhead overnight and you’ll be amazed by how much grime is removed—and how much better the showerhead functions!
Look at your hot water heater and ensure that it is set around 120 degrees Fahrenheit; anything above that is not only a waste of energy but also a potential scalding waiting to happen!

If you find that you need professional assistance making any repairs or modifications, we’re ready to help; we invite Vancouver-area residents to contact us at any time!