5 Ways to Get Your Home’s Plumbing Ready for Spring
Spring is a time of longer days, warmer temperatures, and blooming flowers. But for homeowners, it is also a time of extreme temperature shifts, excess moisture, and household maintenance. If you start getting your house ready for the season now, you can save yourself time-consuming and costly repairs later in the year.
Here are five maintenance tasks to start with to get your home’s plumbing and HVAC systems ready for spring.
Inspect & Test Your Sump Pump
A sump pump is useful to have in your home to collect and pump groundwater away from the lower levels of your home. This is especially important if you have a basement to prevent flooding. Since springtime in the Northeast tends to be rainy, groundwater can easily accumulate around your home and cause major damage.
Make sure that your sump pump isn’t blocked with any debris and that the pipes weren’t damaged from the winter ice and snow. Then take a look at your electrical connections to make sure everything is in working order. To test your sump pump, you can pour a couple buckets of water into its pit and see if the unit turns on.
Check Your Home for Excess Moisture
As the Tri-State area thaws out from winter, moisture tends to build up from melting ice and snow. Take a thorough look around the interior and exterior of your home for pools of standing water and condensation. By eliminating excess moisture early-on, you can prevent mold and mildew in the spring.
Remove Minor Drain Clogs
Drain clogs can happen at any time of the year, but it’s a smart idea to inspect all of yours while you’re doing a spring maintenance check-up. Use a coat hanger or snake to pull hair and grime out of your bathtubs and sinks before it becomes a major problem. Also, take a look at your toilets to inspect for any leaks in the bowl or fractures in the tank.
To test for toilet leaks, you can drop a bit of food coloring into the tank and wait about 30 minutes to see what color the bowl is. If your bowl has colored water, you may have a leak that needs attention. If any of your plumbing fixtures need to be replaced, Central Plumbing Specialties is your best choice for all the top-of-the-line brands and products.
Clean the Outside Coils of HVAC Systems
During the winter, the outside units of HVAC systems can become cluttered with debris. Leaves and twigs tend to gather here and cause clogs in the units. You may not have noticed this while spending more time indoors to avoid the cold temperatures and cold.
But now is the time to clean the outside coils of your unit that sits outside. This will help the HVAC system function better in the springtime. Once you’ve cleaned the coils, test your air conditioning system to make sure it’s working before the temperatures really start to heat up outside.
Change the HVAC System’s Filter
Another important HVAC system check is the filter, because filters impact how HVAC systems perform and how much you pay for utility bills. A new filter also helps to keep your air cleaner so you can breathe easier. Swap out your old filter with a new one every three months for optimal performance.
Central Plumbing Supplies also carries a full line of high-quality products for HVAC systems if any of your current fixtures are beyond repair. Our HVAC showroom locations are located in New York City, Spring Valley, and Yonkers to conveniently serve all your spring repair needs. Visit a location near you to kick off the spring season with confidence!