A simple spring plumbing maintenance can prevent leaks, backups, or worse.

All it takes is a bit of care, and you can ensure your plumbing is in tip-top shape for your home, leaving you with one less thing to worry about as the weather heats up.

Checking for Leaks after a Long Winter

Winter can play havoc with your plumbing even if everything worked fine while the temperatures were frigid. Pipes, faucets and hoses don’t always leak immediately after sustaining damage.

Sometimes, it’s when those warmer days arrive and you’ve started to use everything again that the trouble begins. A tiny crack in a pipe that froze over the winter may remain invisible until you turn on the water, and suddenly – you’re mopping up a puddle under your sink.

Begin by walking slowly around your house, inside and out, with your eyes and ears open. Turn on each faucet, and let it run for a minute. Peer under the sink and along the walls for any drips. If you have a basement, don’t forget that.

Piping down there can be the first to freeze in the winter, and if there’s any moisture or a musty smell now it could mean water is getting where it shouldn’t. You might not notice a big gush, but water stains on the ceiling can be a signal that something started leaking months ago. Catching it at this stage could spare you from having to rip out the drywall later on.

Test Outdoor Faucets and Hoses

By the time spring arrives, you likely want to get outside. Before you get too far, though, those outdoor faucets need a cursory inspection. Winter can be particularly hard on the spigots outside your home, and you don’t want to discover they’re busted when water starts spraying all over the place.

Rotate the first time slowly your outdoor faucet, and what happens. And if you hear a loud rushing sound but don’t see water shooting out, it’s a sign that something may be broken inside the wall. That type of drip can lead to water damage behind your siding or in your basement, and it’s good to catch it early.

So go ahead – and check your hose, while you’re at it. If the vehicle wasn’t driven all winter, it may have cracked. And even if it’s been stored, rubber hoses like this one can break down over time. Check it out well before plugging it up.

Clearing Slow Drains Before They Get Worse

You know that drain that’s been a little sluggish all winter? The one you keep saying you’re going to repair and still haven’t? Spring is the right time to take care of it. A slow drain that starts off isn’t also fully clogged come in overnight.

Hair, soap scum and grease are common offenders, especially in bathroom and kitchen drains. They gradually accumulate along the walls of your pipes, restricting the pathway open to water. You may realize the sink’s draining a bit slower or hear a gurgling sound when the water goes down. That’s an alert to take action before it becomes more of an issue.”

A simple drain cleaner can do the trick, but sometimes better results come from a plunger or a drain snake, especially for stubborn clogs. If you have a particularly stubborn drain that has been giving you the business for months, you might want to have it looked at to ensure that there isn’t a more serious problem down the line.

Looking for Corrosion or Wear in Pipes

Pipes can last decades, but they don’t last forever. Spring is a good time to run a check on pipes you can see, especially if you live in an older home. At times, wear and tear creeps up gradually, and what appears to be a bit of rust or discoloration could actually mean your pipes are in a state of weakening.

Examine the pipes under your sinks, in the basement or anywhere else they’re exposed. Green stains on copper pipes can indicate that there’s a slow leak or wetness building up. And when you see rust on the steel pipes, that’s also a red flag. Over the years corrosion can eat into the pipe causing it to leak or burst.

Be on the lookout for pipes that appear to be wrapped in tape or sealant previously. Someone could have been trying to plug a leak in the past. Those quick repairs don’t always last indefinitely, and it may be time for a section replacement before it breaks again.

Checking Your Toilets and Faucets For Small Leaks

A running toilet may not seem like a big deal, but it can waste a lot of water each day. That can send your water bill soaring and lead to more wear on your plumbing over time. Sometimes the issue is as straightforward as a worn flapper inside the tank. You can typically hear the trickle constant, or the water last filling up while no one has used the loo.

A leaky faucet may drip for months before you start to notice, especially if it’s in a guest bathroom that you rarely use. Even small drips add up. A slow leak can waste thousands of gallons of water over time, and if it’s underneath a sink it can damage your cabinets or the floor.

You are well trained for that. Should anything wet or a musty smell prompt any other thinking, there could be a small leak. It’s much easier to fix it now, rather than waiting for it to become a bigger issue. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of tightening a nut or changing out a washer, but catching it early can prevent water damage down the road.

Contact Day & Night Plumbing Now

Use your spring for basking in the sunshine, not battling unexpected plumbing issues.

Devoting a little time now to inspect your pipes, faucets and drains can help you avoid bigger headaches later. At Day & Night Plumbing in Albuquerque, NM, we’ve helped many homeowners in preparing their plumbing systems for spring. Contact Day & Night Plumbing, Heating and Cooling to schedule your spring plumbing checkup.