Fort Collins Seasonal Plumbing Checklist: Essential Maintenance for Every Season

With the help of a Fort Collins plumbing maintenance checklist, local residents can be proactive about preventing plumbing problems. Seasonal plumbing maintenance prevents major repairs and unexpected breakdowns. By breaking down your annual maintenance needs into seasonal checklists, you can ensure your plumbing system is maintained throughout the year.

One of the most important parts of any plumbing checklist is to schedule your routine maintenance check. Through a certified plumber, you can ensure your plumbing system is in good shape. Besides boosting the lifespan of your plumbing system, your maintenance checks will ensure your family has ready access to cool, clean water.

Spring Plumbing Checklist: Prepare for Warmer Weather 

Over the course of springtime in Fort Collins, the chances of having a wet day jump from 10% to 28%. Because of this, it’s especially important for homeowners to make sure their spring plumbing inspection checklist has been completed. Important tasks, like cleaning gutters and downspouts, need to be carried out before wetter weather arrives. To make sure you don’t forget key maintenance requirements, add them to your calendar. 

• Look at Your Sump Pump: Your sump pump is responsible for removing water that is near your foundation, so it needs to be in working order before spring rains arrive. Test your sump pump to determine if it is working correctly. If it isn’t, schedule sump pump repairs as early as possible.
• Check the Water Pressure: Whenever your water pressure drops, it’s a sign that there may be a clog or similar issue. During your maintenance checklist, check the water pressure of each fixture in your home.
• Inspect for Leaks: Freezing temperatures, high winds, snow, and other wintertime weather cause leaks to occur. Besides checking your fixtures for leaks, pay attention to any signs of moisture. You likely have a leak if you hear running water when you aren’t using your plumbing system.
• Fix Your Gutters: Leaves and debris can build up in your gutters over the winter. Because gutters and downspouts direct water away from your home, it’s important to clean them out each spring.
• Flush Your Water Heater: Sediment builds up in water heater tanks over time. To prevent this from damaging your components, drain and flush your water tank each spring.
• Look for Corrosion: Metals will corrode when they’re exposed to moisture, so check fixtures and exposed pipes for signs of an issue.
• Inspect Outdoor Faucets: Freezing temperatures can damage your outdoor hoses and faucets, so inspect them for signs of a problem.

Summer Plumbing Checklist: Get Ready for Vacations

Many people enjoy going on vacation during the summertime. Before you leave, make sure your plumbing is in good shape and turn off your main shutoff valve. To ensure your system is working its best, you should also schedule an annual inspection through our maintenance membership in Fort Collins.

• Change Your Water Heater Settings: With warmer weather on the way, you probably don’t need your water heater to be set as high. Once the weather starts to warm up, you can adjust the settings on your water heater tank.
• Inspect the Washing Machine Hose: As a part of your plumbing preventive maintenance, take a look at your washing machine hose. It should be replaced if you see any holes or signs of wear. 
• Pay Attention to Water Consumption: With warmer weather on the way, your plants will likely need more water. You also may want to fill up your outdoor pool or fountains. While it’s normal to use extra water in the summer, pay attention to any drastic increases in your water bill because this may indicate a leak. 
• Check for Foundation Leaks: Damp spots and signs of moisture around your foundation can occur because of foundation cracks, bad drainage, and similar problems, so call for repair help as soon as you notice this issue.
• Get Ready for Vacation: To avoid leaks and plumbing disasters while you’re away on vacation, turn off your water system at the main line. Then, you can turn it back on when you return.
• Maintain Your Sprinkling System: As a part of your plumbing maintenance services each spring, check out your sprinkling system. Fix any leaks and clogged lines.
• Inspect for Drain Clogs: If water is draining slowly in a sink or tub, you may have a clogged pipe that needs to be fixed.
• Check Your Toilets: You can look for toilet leaks by adding five drops of food coloring to the tank. Afterward, inspect the toilet bowl about 15 minutes later for signs of the dye color. If you do see any dye, the flapper may need to be replaced.

Fall Plumbing Checklist: Prepare for Cooler Weather

By October, you can typically expect temperatures in Fort Collins to vary between lows in the upper 30s to highs in the mid-60s. The first snowfall normally arrives between the end of October and early November. Because of this, it’s important to be proactive about wrapping up all of your plumbing maintenance services before the weather shifts. From flushing your water heater to cleaning gutters, the following maintenance tips will ensure your plumbing system is ready for cooler temperatures and precipitation.

• Clean Downspouts and Gutters: One of the most important things you can do to keep moisture from damaging your walls, foundation, and roof is to clean debris out of your downspouts and gutters. 
• Inspect Your Furnace: To prepare your home for cooler weather, inspect your furnace and humidifier for signs of damage.
• Flush Your Water Heater: In order to keep sediment from building up, it’s essential to flush your water heater in fall and spring.
• Get Your Outdoor Faucets Ready: With cooler weather on the way, it’s time to disconnect and drain your outdoor fixtures and faucets so that they won’t freeze in colder temperatures.
• Prepare Pipes for Fall: Inspect your pipes for any signs of damage. Once they have been repaired, insulate them to prevent them from freezing in colder weather.
• Inspect Your Sewer Lines: You can use a video inspection to check your sewer lines for tree root intrusion. 
• Check Your Sump Pump: Sump pumps prevent flooding in your home, so inspect your sump pump to make sure it’s working properly. To ensure it functions during a power outage, you may also want to install a battery backup.
• Inspect Your Chimney: A chimney inspection and thorough cleaning is a good way to ensure your home is ready for colder weather. 

Winter Plumbing Checklist: Prevent Damage From Freezing and Colder Temperatures

Wintertime brings freezing temperatures and snow, which can end up harming your plumbing system. By performing the best residential and commercial plumbing maintenance, you can ensure your plumbing fixtures are ready for wintertime weather.

• Store Your Hoses: Before the weather cools off, disconnect all of your hoses. After draining them completely, you can store them in an indoor location until warmer weather returns. 
• Keep Your Faucets On: As a part of your Fort Collins seasonal plumbing maintenance, keep an eye on the outdoor temperatures and turn your faucets on when temperatures dip below freezing. By keeping a drip going through your faucet, you force the water to keep moving so that it can’t freeze in your pipes.
• Insulate Your Exposed Pipes: If there are exposed pipes inside and outside your home, you should insulate them so that they won’t freeze during colder temperatures.
• Avoid Ice Dams: When ice dams form on your roof, it can lead to peeling paint, damaged shingles, and other issues. The best way to prevent ice dams from forming is by removing snow and ice from your rooftop.
• Keep Your Cabinets Open: The air in your cabinets can be chilly, which can make frozen pipes more likely. By opening up cabinet doors around your sinks and water pipes, you can increase the ambient temperature around the pipes.
• Adjust the Water Heater Temperature: Now that the weather is getting colder, you may want to increase the temperature of your water heater. You can use a thermometer to check the output temperature to make sure it is at a safe, warm 120°F.
• Inspect the Water Main Shutoff Valve: Your water main shutoff valve can turn off all of the water in your home in an emergency, so it needs to be functioning properly. Inspect it in the fall to make sure it is in working order.
• Protect Your Water Spigots: As a part of your plumbing maintenance checklist in Fort Collins, take a look at your water spigots. You should disconnect any hoses and drain the spigots. If you can shut off the water main to your spigots, you should do so before freezing temperatures arrive. Afterward, insulate the spigots and any exposed pipes.

Year-Round Checklist Tips: Protect Your Plumbing System

Besides taking care of seasonal tasks, you should also manage your annual plumbing maintenance as well. From monitoring water pressure to cleaning your drains, the following tasks are important for the health of your plumbing system.

• Clean Your Drains: To avoid clogs, you should remove any hair or debris that gets caught in your drains. Never pour fats, oil, or grease down your drains. 
• Monitor the Water Pressure: If there is low water pressure, there may be a leak in your home. As soon as you notice signs of a water leak, reach out to one of our licensed plumbers in Fort Collins for help.
• Understand Your Plumbing System: When a problem occurs, you need to know exactly where your main shutoff valve is. Be proactive and spend some time learning about your plumbing system’s key features before a problem occurs.
• Spot Leaks Early: If you notice a leak, it’s important to repair it right away to avoid water damage and more extensive repairs.
• Maintain Your Water Heater: To ensure your water heater is working at its best, you should schedule a professional plumbing maintenance and inspection each year.

Emergency Plumbing Tips: Prepare for the Worst

Besides taking care of your plumbing inspection checklist, you should also take some time to understand how your plumbing system works. If a disaster occurs, knowing how to handle the following tasks can save you money on repair costs and prevent excessive damage from taking place.

Locate Your Main Shutoff Valve

If you want to protect your home from plumbing disasters, one of the most important things you can do to prepare is learn about your main shutoff valve. Because this valve can shut off water for your entire system, it can stop additional water damage and flooding if there is a leak. In addition to being an important emergency measure, you should find out where this valve is so that you can turn off the water to your home before you go on vacation.

Manage Burst Pipes

Burst pipes can cause significant damage to your home. If this problem occurs, you need to switch off your water at the main shutoff valve. Afterward, you should give one of our plumbers a call to find out where the leak is and the best method for repairing it.

Know How To Handle Sewer Problems

No one wants sewage to overflow into their house. If you have a sewer line issue, stop using any water in your home. Don’t flush the toilet or pour anything down your sink because this can make the sewage more backed up. As soon as you notice a sewer issue, call one of our plumbers for professional help. 

Get Contact Information Ready

When a problem occurs, you can’t afford to waste time looking for a plumber’s phone number. If you have a list of emergency contacts at home, write our phone number on it. Alternatively, you can add our phone number to your phone to get 24/7 help if a plumbing disaster takes place.

Discover the Best Plumbing Maintenance Tips 

By working with Balance Point Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, you can get the best seasonal plumbing maintenance services in Fort Collins. In between your annual inspections, you can use a plumbing maintenance checklist to ensure your plumbing system is in the best condition possible. Through the best plumbing maintenance, you can extend the lifespan of your plumbing system and prevent expensive repairs. 
Find out more about plumbing maintenance and repairs by completing our online form today.