7 Essential Fall Plumbing Tips for Homeowners

Essential Fall Plumbing Tips for Homeowners

Tip 1: Insulate or Cover Exposed Pipes

Among many steps you can take to ensure that your plumbing system does not suffer any form of issue during the following winter season is to insulate or cover your pipes during the fall. This includes insulating your exposed popes along with the ones in the less obvious areas. This includes areas such as the pipes in crawl spaces, garages, beneath your porch, or other enclosed spaces. While they are somewhat safer than the pipes that are directly exposed to the elements, they still need insulation. Freezing temperatures can easily lead to bursting pipes in all areas of your house.

For this, you can cover or insulate the piling with an insulating kit. This is one of the best and most effective ways to ensure that your pipes are protected from freezing cold and other elements. If you are wondering where to get the insulating kits from, you can purchase them at your local home depots.

Tip 2: Drain and Store Garden Hoses

Along with insulating your pipes, you should also ensure that you properly drain all the remaining water and store your garden hose. This is because the remaining water in your garden hose can freeze and expand in the cold, which can further cause your house to break. For this, you should disconnect your hose and keep it in a place that does not experience freezing, such as inside your home or any other sheltered storage space.

Tip 3: Drain the Water Heater

The third fall plumbing tip we have for you is to drain the water heater before the cold starts. While a water heater is an essential aspect of winter, they do tend to work harder in the cold season. To prepare for this, you can flush it out to remove the buildup of sediment if you are curious. This is because the buildup of the sediments can cause corrosion and reduce the heating efficiency of the water heater. Additionally, sediment buildup can shorten the lifespan of the heater.

To drain the water heater, you can drain a few gallons of water from the faucets around the bottom of your water heater tank. Once you have drained the water, you can connect it to a water source, such as your garden hose or one of the faucets and direct the water into the drains. Naturally, you should follow this fall plumbing maintenance before the previous tip.

Tip 4: Check Your Sump Pump and Backup System

Besides maintaining a water heater, you should also check your sump pump system. For those curious, a sump pump is a device that is used to remove excess water that collects in a sump pit. The sump pit is typically located in the basement, or the crawl space of the home, and its key function is to prevent water damage and flooding.

Fall is one of the best seasons to check and deal with the issues associated with the sump pump because of the lack of rain and moderate temperature. During this season, you should check if your sump pump is correctly functioning. If it is not, you can contact a professional such as Everest Drain & Plumbing. Additionally, if your sump pump is over 10 or 15 years old, you should repair it as, by this point, it is near the end of its lifetime.

Tip 5: Cover and insulate Outdoor Faucets

After checking and repairing your sump pump, the next fall plumbing tips and tricks we have for you are covering and insuring outdoor faucets. The key point here is similar to the ones we mentioned in our first tip. Exposed faucets can be damaged by cold weather and can eventually lead to damaged pipes. This can further lead to flooding and other plumbing issues.

You can cover and insulate outdoor faucets by using faucet covers or insulating sleeves. Additionally, you can also consider draining and shutting off the water supply to the outdoor faucets for extra protection.

Tip 6: Inspect Your Sewers

Along with the more visible aspects of your plumbing system, you should also check less visible and often aspects such as sewers. This is because winter can often overwork your sewer system, as most people remain indoors for most of the season. This ultimately means more sewage and more use of the sewers. Before this occurs, you can clear the sewage by cleaning the shrubs and trees around it. You should also clean all the tree roots that may have grown during the summer and spring.

For this cleaning, you can purchase a sewer line from your local Home Depot or make one yourself. If you had past problems with a sewer, you can contact an expert.

Tip 7: Clean Your Gutters and Downspouts

The last fall plumbing maintenance tip we have for you is to clean your gutters and downspouts. You want to ensure that the gutters and downspouts are clear of twigs, leaves, and other forms of obstructions before the cold begins, and one of the best times to do this is in the fall. Cleaning gutters and downspouts ensures that you have proper drainage, which prevents the rainwater of the fall from getting into the pipes or home foundations. Should this happen, it can easily cause water to get into crawl spaces, leading to flooding and other issues.

Conclusion

Winter is harsh weather for just about everything, including plumbing. If you are not well prepared for it, this season can easily damage your plumbing. Therefore, you should be well prepared for this season before it begins. One of the best ways to do this is by following some fall plumbing tips such as insulating covered exposed pipes and faucets, draining and storing garden hose, checking the sump pump system and more.

In this blog, we discussed seven of the essential fall plumbing tips for homeowners. We hope you found this helpful. If you want further insights into the world of plumbing, do check out some of our other blogs. And if you want the best plumbing and drainage service in Toronto, look no further than Everest Drain & Plumbing.

FAQs on Fall Plumbing Tips for Homeowners

What are some winter tips for plumbing?

There are many winter tips for plumbing. Among many such tips, some of the key ones include:

• Insulate your pipes, especially around areas such as basements, attics, and garages.
• Turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets and drain the lines.
• Maintain a constant indoor temperature of around 12 degrees Celsius.
• Open cabinets under sinks and other such areas to allow the warm air to reach the plumbing.
• Allow the faucets to drip slightly to prevent the plumbings from freezing during extreme cold.
• Make sure that your water heater is functioning properly.

How can I make my plumbing last longer?

To extend the lifespan of your plumbing system and avoid frequent repairs, you can conduct regular maintenance and implement smart practices. Some tips to help make your plumbing last longer include:

• Performing regular inspections
• Using strainers to prevent hair and food particles from clogging the system
• Monitoring water pressure
• Preventing pipes from freezing by using insulators
• Flush the water heater regularly
• Be careful of what goes down the drain
• Maintain septic systems
• Install water softeners
• Address leaks immediately

How do we maintain plumbing pipes?

There are many ways you can maintain plumbing pipes. Some of the key ways on how you can maintain plumbing pipes include:

• Checking regularly for leaks
• Keeping drain clear from debris
• Insulating pipes
• Ensuring that water pressure is within 40 to 60 PSI
• Flushing pipes periodically
• Testing water quality regularly

How do I prepare my plumbing for spring?

While the specific plumbing preparation for spring shall depend on your circumstances, some of the key tips we have for you include:

• Look for water damage in the pipes
• Clear the outdoor drains
• Check your sump pump
• Reconnect the hose and check faucets for remaining winter damages
• Insteopect water heater and remove sediments
• Check for unusual water bills to detect leaks

What are the tips for seasonal plumbing for summer?

Some of the key tips for seasonal plumbing for summer include:

• Check sprinklers for leaks and prepare them
• Check for slow drains
• Inspect your water pressure
• Ensure that your pool plumbing is running smoothly
• Check the water heater and remove sediments
• Check outdoor faucets