Hopefully you read and took action on our blog concerning getting your plumbing system ready for winter. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the things we need to do every Spring.
1) By far the most important first thing you need to do is check the outside hose faucets on the exterior walls of your home. First make sure that there is no hose connected to the faucet that was left on over the winter. If there was, there may be a frozen and burst jacket on your frost-proof valve.
If that is the case, when water is turned on for the first time in the spring, everything might seem normal outside at the hose end.
But when you shut the hose off and go back inside, you’ll find anywhere from a puddle to a flood inside. Best to run the faucet just a little the first time, then go and check. Or have your state licensed local plumbing contractor check them out before you use them.
2) Your water heater needs to be flushed once every 6 months, if a tank type. Putting this item on your spring plumbing to do list will help you get the most lifespan out of your heater.
3) While you are flushing the heater, operate the temperature and pressure relief valve to insure it is not seized closed and that it will seat properly if it happens to be needed.
4) Go under all the sinks and next to toilets to operate the emergency shutoff valves. Just turning them off then back on once a season will help keep them working for many more years than if you simply leave them untouched year after year.
5) Take your flashlight and take a quick look under all the fixtures to see if any unseen drips have developed that may need attention before major damage occurs. Include water lines, waste lines and sink sealing surfaces.
6) Check outside drain lines from sump systems to make sure they have not been clogged with leaves and blowing debris over the winter.
Watch the water discharge a few times into the drain area to make sure it’s not clogged with roots or other vegetation.
7) If you have a lawn sprinkler system now is the time to fire it up, check for leaks and burst lines, and have required safety devices tested.
8) If you turned any valves off for outside water sources like yard hydrants when you winterized, now’s the time to fire them up. Open valves slowly and make sure the attached pipes are pressurized fully before walking away.
If you follow these steps every year you should have a trouble free Spring with your system.
If you need any help with these plumbing tasks, give Yes! Plumbing a call to schedule a plumbing visit from one of our professional State Licensed plumbers.