You’ve heard of spring cleaning, but what about fall plumbing? While your plumbing doesn’t usually need a lot of attention, there are a few things you should be doing every fall to ensure that it’s ready for the winter weather. Here are five plumbing maintenance tasks you should do this fall.
- Turn off outdoor faucets. If the temperature drops below freezing, these pipes are the most likely to freeze and burst. Turning the water off can prevent this. Even if you don’t experience below-freezing temperatures often, you probably don’t need to use your garden hose in December anyways.
- Flush your water heater. This doesn’t have to be done in the fall specifically, but it’s a good thing to do once a year. Carefully drain the tank to prevent sediment buildup and rust, and enhance heating efficiency.
- Clean your gutters. Fall means falling leaves, and they can quickly fill up your gutters. Be sure to clean them out and inspect them a couple of times in the autumn to ensure water doesn’t get trapped in them, possibly freezing and cracking the gutters.
- Insulate exposed pipes. Even if you live in a relatively warm climate, a little Styrofoam can go a long way toward preventing devastating water damage during an unexpected cold snap.
- Inspect your pipes and repair leaks. While you’re prepping your plumbing for winter, make sure to check over all your pipes and look for signs of leaks. If you spot any, get them repaired sooner rather than later.