Spring is upon us and with the nice weather comes opening windows, letting in the fresh air, and exiting the long hibernation of hiding in our homes. And with it all comes the yearly ritual of spring cleaning.
As you work to clean your home, we advise that you not forget about your indoor and outdoor plumbing system. After a long cold season, your home will benefit from some freshening up. From the leaves on your roof and in the gutter to the more personal indoor plumbing, we’ve created an easily manageable checklist that will help keep things flowing for another year. Get a printable version here.
- Clean out your gutters, downspouts, and vent pipes on the roof.
- Inspect your pipes for leaks or anything unusual.
- Snake shower drains to remove clogs.
- Try a bacterial drain cleaner to clear debris and build-up from all the drains in your home. Be selective and do your research as these are usually not eco-friendly and can make things worse.
- Clean the u-traps beneath your sinks. Simply removing these and cleaning out any buildup can save you a lot of headaches.
- If you have floor drains, pour in a gallon of water to fill the trap preventing odors and sewer gases from entering your home.
- Check your hose bibs for damage and have them replaced. If dripping continues after the spout is replaced, you may have had a frozen pipe that cracked and needs repairing.
- Prevent hair from entering shower drains by adding a mesh strainer.
- Test your sump pump by adding water into the basin and tripping the lever to ensure it is still working properly.
- Check your water heater.
- Clean mineral build-up from your showerheads and faucets. Clean or replace faucet aerators for a smooth flow.
- Check the water supply lines to your washing machine, faucets, toilets, and fridge.
- Empty out the washing machine lint trap.
- Thoroughly clean the garbage disposer.
If something appears wrong, it may need to be repaired. Some things on this list may seem like a lot, but having a plumber inspect everything could save you from a great deal of damage.
