Try These Outdoor Plumbing Tips to Make Sure That Your Home is Ready for Spring
Spring is so exciting! It’s the perfect time to open the windows, let the sun and the fresh air flow in and get all the jobs done that you’ve been putting off all summer.
Make sure to include some important outdoor plumbing jobs on your list. Here are our best tips.
Gutter Check
Your gutters have an important job in the spring: to catch the rainwater and pipe it through to the downspout, so that this extra water flows away from your home.
However, over the winter, branches, leaves, and twigs usually gather in the gutters, blocking the flow. That extra water can pool and cause leaks and mold growth.
To avoid this, clean your gutters out this spring. Begin by doing a visual inspection around your home’s perimeter for leaks and get up on a ladder to ensure that there aren’t gutter pieces loose. Push the debris out with a broom.
Check Your Hoses
Before you uncoil your hoses for the spring season, give them a good once-over to make sure that they didn’t sustain any damage over the winter.
They are known to crack and break over time, so if you see any cracks, get new ones. Even a small crack can spell big leaks.
Double check that hoses still fit well into the hose bibs. If they aren’t flush, water will trickle out, which will waste water.
Check the Sprinklers
Before the spring gets going, walk around your yard and inspect each nozzle. Remove any grass that has grown over top.
If there are small rocks or soil around them, clear them out so that water can flow properly. Check each valve box for water.
Rodents like to nest in there over the winter and could chew through the important material, creating leaks. If there is water in the box, call your Little Rock, AR plumber for help ASAP.
How About the Outdoor Faucets?
You already know the merits of leak prevention and keeping your water bills down by checking your indoor plumbing fixtures. The same principle applies to your outdoor plumbing too. Check out your outdoor faucets to see if there is any moisture on or around the piping, which may signal a leak.
A simple test for leaks in your outdoor faucets is to place your thumb over the opening of the spigot and open it up full blast. If your thumb stays in place with the water rushing, you likely have a leak because the water pressure is low.
