5 Obvious Spring Plumbing Tips For Your Austin Home

Spring plumbing tips are here. As the Texas ground thaws, and the sun lingers a little longer, the spring season is rapidly approaching. The spring is finally here, and we can’t wait! Don’t forget to include these in your Austin spring cleaning checklist.

Throughout the year, your water systems take a beating. However, when it’s winter, you also have to consider the additional stress that the cold has put on your pipes. When pipes thaw over the winter, they may leak if they have frozen and burst, so checking them in spring is the best time.

Spring cleaning is only half the story! Make sure you add these tasks to your seasonal to-do list:

1. Evaluate Your Sump Pump

April showers bring May flowers—but they can also bring flooding. Spring is the perfect season to check your sump pump and ensure everything is working properly. Here’s what to look for:

Start by adding water to your sump pump.
If the pump is working properly, it should be able to remove the water from the pit in a matter of seconds.
Finally, your sump pump should shut off. If it does this without you prompting it, you’re good to go!
If one of these steps doesn’t go according to plan, it’s time to call the professionals.

2. Assess Your Hose Bibb

Outdoor faucets have been exposed to the elements all winter, so they’ll need to be carefully inspected. After turning the indoor faucet valve on, look for a sign of leaks. If you left a hose attached to a hose bibb, you’re more likely to find a leak. If the leak is outside, you may have a cracked washer. If the leak is coming from the walls themselves, you have a bigger problem.

If your water supply line froze over the winter, it’s possible that the pipe could have cracked. You’ll risk water damage if you don’t get the pipe replaced in time.

3. Give Your Toilets Attention

Is the toilet in your home flushing properly? If you have to jiggle the handle, there’s likely a part replacement in your future. Thankfully, the components of your toilet that facilitate flushing are relatively cheap. Bonus: replacing inefficient parts can help you cut back on your water costs as well!

4. Turn The Valves & Check Outdoor Faucets

Water tends to lead to rust. Turn your plumbing system’s valves, another important Austin plumbing tip. Leaving them untouched for long enough can cause them to get sticky and nearly impossible to turn, even if they aren’t rusted. Also check any outdoor faucets; leaks in your pipes can also be caused by leaks in outdoor faucets. Water flowing with your hand could mean that there is a leak somewhere in your line that is preventing it from getting the full supply of power.

5. Clean Sediment in Your Water Heater

Water heaters may accumulate sediment over time. As a result, the water heater may not only work less efficiently in the long run, but it could also die sooner.

You will need to drain your water heater over a period of time, and it is a time-consuming task. It is recommended that you call an Austin plumber if you have never done it yourself or aren’t entirely sure how to go about it. Make sure your water heater is regularly cleaned as one of the best plumbing tips we can provide. Uncleaned sediment is very likely to cause the water heater to completely break.

Get Help From Talented Plumbers in Austin

Most of these tasks you can complete on your own, but if you need advice or run into any serious issues, give the professional Austin plumbers at S & D Plumbing a call. Our team has the experience and knowledge to get any and every part of your plumbing back up and running. Call us today: 512-595-5341