Call Your Plumber in Calgary to Finish Your Spring Plumbing Checklist

Spring is finally here, and with all the normal spring cleaning you’ll be doing, it’s easy to forget one of the most important aspects of your home – your plumbing. During the winter your pipes can take a beating, so it’s necessary every spring to inspect and repair any damage accrued during the colder months. Follow these suggestions from NeedAPlumberCanada, the plumbers Calgary trusts, and you’ll be all set for spring.
 
1. First and foremost, check your pipes and hoses. When the temperature drops below freezing, any water lingering in the pipes can freeze and swell, causing strain to the seams and joints. This can create leaks that not only cost you wasted water, but can cause water damage to the surrounding area. Checking under your sinks for telltale drips or stains below the pipe is easy enough, but there’s also a neat little trick you can do to check the rest of the pipes that are harder to access. Before you go to bed, check the water meter and write down the measurement. In the morning, before using any water, check it again. If the number has changed, you have a leak somewhere. Don’t forget to check rubber hoses coming from a washing machine or dishwasher.

2. Check your toilets. You can drop a bit of food coloring into the water in the back of your toilet, wait a while, and then check the bowl. If you see the coloring there, your tank is leaking into the bowl and you probably have a faulty seal in your hardware. Those are easy enough to replace, and very inexpensive. Doing this can save you a lot of money on your water bill, too. If you have to jiggle the handle or hold it down to get a proper flush, you’ve got another reason to replace your handle.

3. Drain your water heater. It may be time to replace that old water heater, but in the meantime you can extend its life by draining several gallons to flush out any sediment and other deposits that have begun to build up. You can do this yourself if you know how, or contact a plumber to do it for you.

4. Get those minerals off your shower head. This is something you don’t have to wait until spring for. If your shower head detaches, take it off and soak it in a bowl filled with vinegar overnight. If it doesn’t detach, you can fill a plastic sandwich bag with vinegar and attach it over the shower head with a rubber band or some string.

5. Exercise your emergency valves. This should be done more than once a year to ensure ease of use in an actual emergency. If your toilet starts to overflow, you’ll want to be able to shut the water supply off to avert cleanup. Make sure all the valves in your house (not just in the bathroom!) are loose enough that anyone in your household can turn them if they need to.

Don’t forget that NeedAPlumberCanada is on call 24/7 to help with not only plumbing, but also most any other kind of repair. We don’t charge an extra fee for coming out on short notice, and our trusted professionals are ready and willing to answer your questions and show you how to get your home running at peak efficiency in no time at all!