Tag Archives: spring plumbing tips

The Importance of Including Plumbing in Your Spring Cleaning Checklist

spring cleaning plumbing.

Why Plumbing Should Be Included in Your Spring Cleaning Checklist

Spring is a time of renewal and fresh starts, and what better way to kick off the season than by giving your home a thorough cleaning? While many homeowners focus on tasks like dusting, decluttering, and organizing, it’s important not to overlook one crucial area: your plumbing system.

The Importance of Plumbing Maintenance

Your plumbing system plays a vital role in your everyday life, providing clean water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and more. Without proper maintenance, however, your plumbing system can develop issues that may disrupt your daily routine and even cause significant damage to your home.

By including plumbing maintenance in your spring cleaning checklist, you can detect and address problems early on, preventing them from escalating into more costly and extensive repairs. Additionally, regular plumbing maintenance can help improve the efficiency and lifespan of your plumbing system, saving you money on utility bills and future repairs.

Common Plumbing Issues to Watch Out For

While it’s always a good idea to schedule a professional plumbing inspection to thoroughly assess your system, there are several common plumbing issues that you can keep an eye out for during your spring cleaning:

1. Leaking Faucets

Leaky faucets may seem like a minor annoyance, but they can waste a surprising amount of water over time. Check all faucets in your home for any signs of leaks, such as dripping or a constant stream of water. If you discover a leak, it’s important to repair or replace the faulty faucet promptly.

2. Clogged Drains

Clogged drains are a common plumbing issue that can disrupt your daily routine. Use a drain cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to clear any minor clogs. For more stubborn clogs, you can use a plunger or call a professional drain cleaning service.

3. Running Toilets

A running toilet not only wastes water but can also lead to a significant increase in your water bill. If you notice that your toilet continues to run after flushing, it’s essential to address the issue as soon as possible. Often, a running toilet can be fixed by adjusting the flapper or replacing some of the internal components.

4. Water Heater Maintenance

During your spring cleaning, don’t forget to include your water heater in your plumbing checklist. Flush the tank to remove sediment buildup, check for any leaks or unusual noises, and adjust the temperature if necessary. Regular maintenance can help extend the lifespan of your water heater and ensure it continues to provide hot water efficiently.

a woman performing a spring drain cleaning.

Clogged drains are a common plumbing issue that can disrupt your daily routine. Use a drain cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to clear any minor clogs. For more stubborn clogs, you can use a plunger or call a professional plumber for assistance.

The Benefits of Including Plumbing in Your Spring Cleaning

Now that you understand the importance of plumbing maintenance let’s take a closer look at the benefits of including it in your spring cleaning routine:

1. Cost Savings

By addressing plumbing issues early on, you can avoid more extensive and expensive repairs in the future. Additionally, proper maintenance helps improve the efficiency of your plumbing system, reducing your water and energy bills.

2. Increased Lifespan

A well-maintained plumbing system can have a significantly longer lifespan than one that is neglected. Regular inspections and maintenance help identify and resolve minor issues before they can cause significant damage or lead to system failure.

3. Health and Safety

Plumbing issues, such as leaks or clogs, can create an environment conducive to the growth of mold and mildew. These can lead to various health problems, including allergies, respiratory issues, and infections. By keeping your plumbing system in good condition, you can ensure a healthier living environment for you and your family.

4. Peace of Mind

Knowing that your plumbing system is well-maintained and functioning properly can provide you with peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about unexpected plumbing emergencies disrupting your daily life or expensive repairs catching you off guard.

Tips for Maintaining Your Plumbing System

Here are some helpful tips to keep your plumbing system in top shape:

1. Regular Inspections

Schedule annual professional plumbing inspections to identify any potential issues before they become major problems.

2. Watch What You Flush

Avoid flushing anything other than toilet paper and human waste down the toilet. Items like cotton balls, wipes, and feminine hygiene products can lead to clogs and other plumbing issues.

3. Be Mindful of Grease

Pouring grease down the drain can cause clogs and damage to your pipes. Instead, dispose of grease in a sealed container in the trash.

4. Use Drain Strainers

Install drain strainers in your sinks and showers to catch hair, soap residue, and food particles that can contribute to clogs.

5. Monitor Water Pressure

High water pressure can cause stress on your plumbing system over time, leading to leaks and other issues. Use a pressure gauge to ensure your water pressure is within the recommended range.

In Conclusion

Including plumbing maintenance in your spring cleaning checklist is essential for the overall health and efficiency of your home. By being proactive and addressing plumbing issues early on, you can avoid costly repairs, extend the lifespan of your plumbing system, and ensure a safe and comfortable living environment for you and your family. So, don’t forget to make plumbing a priority this spring!

Best Tips To Avoid Spring Plumbing Issues

Best Tips To Avoid Spring Plumbing Issues

Springtime is that time of year when everything in nature comes alive. After months of lying dormant because of winter, plants, animals, and humans are bustling with energy and raring to go. Everywhere you look, there are lovely colors and birdsongs. People everywhere are unfolding their tools, equipment and bodies to get back to the work and play they love. 

But the start of spring is also when you are most likely to find leaks in your water pipes. That is mostly the aftermath of winter when pipes burst due to exposure to cold. With the onset of spring rains, your home’s plumbing is also likely to be overwhelmed by surface runoff and flash floods, resulting in even more plumbing issues for your home.

We know sometimes it’s hard to manage your investments and keep track of this kind of issues, especially for property managers who manage multiple rental properties, but these spring plumbing issues can be avoided with a little insight into the causes of the problems and preemptive steps to stop them. Spring is here; which can mean bad news for many homeowners. However, with the spring plumbing tips listed below, you can make spring fun by avoiding potential issues with your property’s plumbing.

8 tips to avoid spring plumbing issues

Check your toilets

Hidden leaks in your toilet will waste water and interfere with the toilet’s function. Check for hidden leaks by adding six drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. Wait 30 minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. If it does, there is a leak. Does the toilet flush properly, and does the water stop running after each flush? If the answer is no, there are worn-out parts in the tank that need to be replaced.

a fancy bathtub.

Inspect the bathtub and shower

Cracks often appear in grout as a result of changes in temperature and humidity that happen during winter. Inspect your shower and bathtub trim molding. If there are cracks in the seams, they can cause leaks or mold. Seal them before the small issues become problems that cost thousands of dollars to fix.

Inspect floor drains and outdoor drains

Check floor drains for signs of slow draining. If more than one-floor drain is acting-up at the same time, that can be a sign of impending problems with your main sewer line. Also, check outside drains; they are likely to be clogged after the winter weather. If your home has French drains installed, this is the time to inspect and have it professional hydro jetting services.

Clean gutters and downspouts

Remove all winter debris from gutters and downspouts. Check for signs of damage, loose or missing fittings, and rust. Ensure the downspout is not discharging in the wrong place on your property. Check your vent pipes; they are a favorite location for birds to make their nest. Blocked vent pipes will cause the home’s plumbing to drain slowly.

Test the sump pump

The sump pump is your home’s last line of defense against flash floods; test it to ensure it is working. Testing a sump pump is as simple as pouring enough water into the basin to trigger the pump and then watching it to ensure the water is completely removed and the pump turns itself off afterwards. Also, clean the sump pump to prevent malfunctions due to clogging.

a tankless water heater.

Flush your water heater

To prevent scalding, the temperature setting on your water heater should not be above 120°F. A lower temperature setting will also help reduce your energy bills. Limescale and debris inside the potable water supply are left inside the water heater as the water is heated. This deposit can impair the efficiency of your water heater. Drain the water heater to get rid of sediment that has built up in the last year.

Check for leaks and drips

Faucets and supply hoses for the dishwasher, washing machine and ice maker may have minor leaks that are hard to detect. Inspect and test them carefully. To ensure there are no leaks in your home’s water pipes, take a meter reading when leaving for work and do it again when you return. If the number has changed, you have a leak in your plumbing.

Test your main water valve

Shutting off your home’s water supply is the first step when you have a burst plumbing pipe emergency or major leak at home. But for this to work, the main water valve must be functional. If the valve is stuck because of disuse, you won’t be able to turn off the water. Test the water main valve by turning it on and off several times.

Finally, a wholesale inspection of your home’s plumbing systems is the best way to detect and eliminate any potential plumbing issues. It is suggested that you do this at least twice a year, preferably at the start of the season. To ensure this is done correctly, you will need to call a nearby plumber.

A plumber will not only have an overview of how the home’s plumbing works, they know the likely issues that can happen and have a tested routine for inspecting the plumbing. This ensures that no aspect of the system is overlooked and no budding issues are missed.

Prepare Your Home Plumbing for Spring

Prepare Your Home Plumbing for Spring

As a homeowner, expectations are on you to take care of your house; otherwise, the potential damages can be costly. Plumbing is one of the tasks you should take care of regularly if you want to avoid costly problems. Plumping problems can be very inconvenient and expensive, so trying to prevent them in the first place is your best strategy. Even if learning plumbing might seem daunting at first, it’s an essential part of home maintenance that every homeowner should take into account. Checking home plumbing for Spring should be a thought-out process, and it’s best to do it before your big spring cleanup. That’s why we at Chicago Plumbing Experts would like to share our expert knowledge on home plumbing so Spring cleanup can be a much easier experience.

Checking everything before Spring clean up is a must

Homeowners should always be aware of the state of their house; negligence can be a costly mistake. To avoid a major headache in terms of large repair bills, you should know how to ensure everything in your house runs smoothly. This is especially true for your home plumbing, so you should check everything. One of the most important things to check are:

  • Test your sump pump-you need to avoid your basement flooding, and testing your sump pump is crucial for it,
  • Check your basement-you will need to thoroughly check the basement of your house for any leaks from damaged pipes,
  • Everything needs to be correctly sealed-this includes your floor, walls, windows, and doors,
  • Check your water valves-you want them to be functional during home plumbing for Spring
Steal pipes in the basement

The basement is a crucial place to check when preparing home plumbing for Spring

New homeowners should be aware of the things we listed before moving to their new house, as it’s a good indicator of the house’s state. According to experts, inspecting plumbing is a must-do and needs to be among the things you should check first before any home acquisition. So, check the home plumbing if you want to be smart about your move.

You should check sprinklers and outdoor faucets

Spring is more than just a problem for plumbing because of the cleanup. Spring is the time of the year when your garden comes back to life. If you want the perfect front yard for this spring season, check your sprinklers and outdoor faucets for any malfunctions, which can quickly happen. This is because during winter, many outside pipes tend to freeze, and during unfreezing, many problems can arise, and pipes can even break completely. To test this, run the whole system and check each sprinkler head and faucet individually for water leaks. By testing it, you can react on time for any malfunction and get to repair it.

One more area that would need checking is a house bib, as it’s a common area to malfunction. If you forgot to unhook your garden hose over winter, this part of the plumbing could have sprung a leak, so you should check that out too.

an outdoor water spigot

When preparing for plumbing, don’t forget pipes that are outside

A water softener is going to solve a lot of your problems

If your pipes are in good condition, you would want them to stay that way for a long time. However, minerals in the water that flow through the pipes can be a significant problem in the long run. Hard water has many dissolved minerals like magnesium and calcium, which can build up in your pipes and plug them over time. That’s why a water softener will keep your pipes unplugged by balancing hard minerals in water that runs through them and improve your home plumbing for Spring cleanup.

You should consider one if you come from places known to have hard water, which is 85% of our country. However, if you are coming from Utah, New Mexico, or the western side of Texas, a water softener is a must-have due to its incredibly mineral-dense water that is a plumbing hazard. Installing a salt-based softener has other benefits as well, like reducing hard water stains, improving your skin and hair, reducing the amount of soap needed to clean dishes and clothes, etc.

Preparing home plumbing is a constant search for leaks.

To properly prepare your home plumbing for the spring season, you should check the areas that leak the most. A toilet is one of the most important places to check for leaks, as it can cause costly problems like damaged floors and high water bills. One helpful tip is to use food coloring to spot leaks around your toilet. Simply put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet, and leaking water will be easy to spot.

Another area you should check when preparing your home plumbing is the kitchen. Again, you should check if any faucet is dripping, and if they do, fix it. A main drain line should be cleaned appropriately of food blockage, and the sink should be checked for damages. A garbage disposal can also be troublesome, so troubleshoot for any problems. Any of these issues can cause problems for your home plumbing for spring cleanup, so it would be smart to check it all out.

Habits that can make home plumbing a lot easier

Home plumbing problems often occur because of our bad habits, and a few changes here can make a big difference. First, you should never pour cooking oils and grease into your drain; they can stay there and solidify, causing clogging. One beneficial thing for your drain is to run hot water after washing dishes, as it helps remove grease. Using drain covers in your shower and kitchen sink prevents unwanted objects from entering pipes. Finally, we recommend using a body wash rather than a soup bar, as it is much healthier for your home’s plumbing. Bar soap produces too much soap scum that coats the walls of your pipes, which can result in clogs. 

Kitchen sink and knives

A kitchen is a place where leaks can cause a lot of trouble

Making sure that your home plumbing for Spring is proper is an important job that homeowners should pay attention to. During Spring clean up, your home plumbing will be under much stress from the increased water use, and any imperfections could lead to trouble. But don’t worry, if you put effort into it and follow our advice, it’s nothing that you can’t overcome.