Spring is here in most parts of the country… and with spring comes a mix of weather for many people! This could include rain… maybe snow… warm days but cold nights.
And the result? It’s hard on your plumbing!
Those warm days may make you want to open up the windows and turn on the garden hose and start taking care of your lawn.
But then the cold nights still come and in some areas that can actually freeze your pipes and cause them to burst, spilling water everywhere; it’s a costly mess.
So, what should you do this spring? Here are several tips to help you navigate the ups and downs of spring to keep your plumbing working the way it should!
#1. Make sure you close your windows at night.
The warm spring air during the day is nice but it can really cool off and freeze those pipes. You don’t want that! Make sure the windows are closed at night to keep pipes from freezing. (And you probably won’t mind being warm too, right?)
#2. Maybe wait on the garden hose
You may want to wait a week or two before pulling out the garden hose. At least make sure the temperatures don’t drop below freezing at night. If they do (and depending on how fast it freezes and for how long), the hose faucet and even your garden hose could be damaged. Likely you’ll be able to run your hose soon but just be cautious of those night-time temperatures.
#3. Clean your gutters.
This might seem like an odd PLUMBING suggestion but you’ll see why in a moment: over winter, debris like leaves and sticks can collect in your gutters. Then when springtime rains come, the water runs into your gutters and spills out over the sides and pools at your foundation instead of running down the downspout and away from your house. Once pooling at your foundation, the water then runs down and may collect in weeping tiles… but it could also enter your home and cause flooding. So, make sure you have a sump pump all set up to collect and move water that could be rising underneath your house, and send it away from your home.
#4. Remove snow and standing water from around your foundation.
If your area got snow over the winter and it’s melting now and pooling by your foundation, you’ll want to remove it. Sure, this may not affect everyone in the same way right now but a flood is something you won’t want to risk. Again, make sure you have a sump pump ready
#5. Spring cleaning: don’t forget about your pipes.
Lastly, when you’re doing spring cleaning, don’t forget about your pipes; especially the wastewater pipes that move water out of your home. They should be cleaned too! Have a plumber come in and inspect your pipes and clean them out each year so you never have to worry about backed up lines that won’t drain.