One of the most exciting times of the year is the spring season. With the cold winter season coming to an end, homeowners get ready to participate in outdoor tasks like gardening, which they had missed for months. One of the essential commodities you need at this time is water for lawns and gardens. Therefore, it is wise to look at the outdoor plumbing situation.
You will then ensure you don’t get into any water supply problems in the garden and outdoors.
When it comes to plumbing issues, most people tend to concentrate and focus more on maintaining indoors’ problems. However, it is also essential to look at some of the plumbing problems that may cause issues in the garden and the outdoors.
As a homeowner, you need to have a checklist of some essential things you can look at in the plumbing system to ensure everything is running smoothly. Below are some of the essential spring plumbing tips for the outdoors. Indeed, you need to have an eye on and have maintenance ready to find any issues.
Check the conditions of the outdoor plumbing.
After being hit by the cold winter, you should inspect and make sure the outdoor faucets are in good condition and operating well to ensure they are available for the busy spring and summer coming ahead. You can perform some basic tests to ensure they did not get affected by the freezing weather. You can check for leaks by blocking the spigot with your thumb and turning the faucet on.
If the water comes with a low pressure that you can contain with your finger, then there must be a leak somewhere. So you must perform maintenance in this case. But if the pressure is just right, then your faucets are good to go for the spring.
You can also check for possible pipe burst by just looking at how the water pours out when you open the outdoor faucet fully. If the water comes out just fine with the required pressure, then your pipes survived the harsh winter. But if you notice water coming in a trickling manner, you should look for more signs of a leak or a pipe burst. Having outdoor faucets working in the right way will help you prevent water wastage and other damages that may be costly to fix. Leaks will also raise your water bills.
Examine the hoses to ensure they are in good working condition
This is another crucial thing to do as you set yourself up for the spring. You need to do a thorough check on the hoses and pipes to ensure they survived the winter before putting them back outside for use in your gardening. Hoses are made from rubber, meaning they can easily get damaged and have cracks which can waste a lot of water if you just run water in them without doing a thorough check. When performing a check on the hoses, ensure there are no breaks of any kind since even a tiny crack can become a big problem when the water starts flowing in them. You can also look at the nozzles to ensure that they are fastened tightly into the hose bibs.
Inspect the outdoor drains and unclog them in case they are clogged
During the winter, there is a lot of wind which causes trees to shed their leaves and other debris. This debris can start to block your outdoor drains if left to accumulate. In turn, it becomes a serious problem for your overall drainage system. With a clogged drainage system, you can experience very many problems, from flooding in your outdoors and garden to severe damages and health risks.
Checking the drains will help you know your drainage system’s condition so that you can clear out the leaves and other debris from trees, thus allowing for smooth drainage in your compound.
Check the gutters and clear them.
Just like the drainage system, leaves and plant debris usually end up in the gutters in winter. This buildup can cause several issues in your outdoor plumbing systems.
First, it can be very messy and untidy. But the bigger problem comes when the spring rains begin to pour. That gutter blockage becomes a big problem as it will prevent proper water flow from the compound and cause flooding.
Perform an inspection on the sprinklers
A thorough inspection is necessary for the coming season if you have sprinklers installed for your gardening or water your lawn. This will reduce any inconveniences brought by sprinklers that don’t function well. Check if there are blockages on the nozzles and clear them. You can also check for leaks by looking for dented patches in your yard. Inspect the sprinkler timers and change the batteries for new ones. You should look at keenly the valve boxes since rodents are known to nest there, causing a lot of destruction. You can have all these problems fixed before the time of usage. Check your outdoor plumbing for water patches and inspect where you feel it smells like sewer odor.
If you notice horrible sewer odors, water patches, or soggy spots in your yard, you might have a problem with your sewer line. Of course, the smell is a sign that your outdoor plumbing system might leak.
It can be challenging to identify the sewer line problems as they pass below the compounds. Knowing what to look out for and doing a regular inspection of your yard will help you identify the issues before they get out of hand. You may detect issues before they inflict damage. If you come across any sign of a broken sewer line, it could mean you have a blockage or a break in the pipes, which requires a professional’s assistance to rectify. Call in a plumber immediately to avoid other similar problems in the spring.
The Takeaway: Checking on your outdoor plumbing is an essential springtime job
Performing regular inspections on your outdoor plumbing system can be very advantageous and help you save money. So follow these outdoor plumbing tips for the spring. Only then can you ensure a smooth spring season without having to worry about any problems that come with outdoor plumbing issues.
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Natural Health from a fully-accredited program and is a Certified Herbologist. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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