From watering your grass to cleaning your windows to filling your swimming pool, a complete spring clean-up typically increases your water consumption. This increase in water usage is more demanding on your plumbing than during winter. Water damage, mold growth, and thousands of dollars in repair costs can result from leaks, damaged supply lines, burst pipes, and faulty plumbing.
Checking your plumbing system as part of your spring preparations can save you a lot of money down the line. Before a minor issue becomes a major one, make sure your pipes and water supply are in good working order by following our spring plumbing recommendations.
Here are 10 spring plumbing repair and maintenance tips:
The mineral content of water is measured in grains and water; with more than 1 grain per gallon of water being considered hard water. On a scale of one to ten, the hardness of mineral-contaminated water is measured. Understanding the type of water running through the pipes of your house provides several advantages, including preventing water damage to your property.
While some regions, such as Montreal, have harder water than others, water softeners should be installed in all homes and businesses in Canada. A water softener uses sodium chloride or potassium chloride to help balance the harsh minerals in hard water.
Your water filtration system will attract and remove excess calcium and magnesium ions to soften the hardness of the water by adding a salt-based softener. Here are some additional benefits of installing a water softener:
Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Bathroom Plumbing
Mold can grow and spread in as little as 24 to 48 hours if the correct conditions are present. Excess moisture and a humidity level greater than 70% are examples of such circumstances. The problem is that Montreal has an average relative humidity (RH) of 78 percent so water systems don’t need leaks to cause mold in this context.
Mold can form in your home as a result of sweaty plumbing pipes due to their contact with water. Condensation is what you’re seeing on your pipes as sweat. When hot, damp outside air gets into contact with your cold pipes, droplets of water can emerge from the air. Self-adhesive pipe sleeves can help prevent excess condensation.
Some drains take longer to clear in the winter, especially if they have frozen FOG (fat, oil, and grease). FOG build-up may thaw as spring arrives, allowing for effective draining. In any event, the optimum seasons to check the health of your drains are spring and summer.
To begin, turn on the hot water faucet in each of your sinks. It’s good if the water drains quickly. If it doesn’t, or if you hear gurgling sounds coming from the sink drain, you’re probably dealing with obstructions.
You might be able to get away with a plunger or a plumber’s snake for minor clogs but never use a drain cleaning solution. Your pipes may be harmed by the harmful chemicals.
Get in touch with a plumbing company if you have clogs that don’t clear no matter how many times you pump your plunger.
If you’re like most Canadians, you’re looking forward to spring so that you can start producing your own fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, your underground pipes, outside pipes, plumbing components, drain gutters, and downspouts may have hidden leaks after winter. They may have cracked, buckled, or suffered other damage as a result of the extreme cold during the winter months.
So, before you start planting, check all of your exterior walls, faucets, and sprinklers. Open the faucets to examine which have become clogged. Examine your sprinklers to check if the sprays are coming out correctly. It’s important to repair any broken water fixtures, especially those that get a lot of sun.
Frozen pipes will begin to melt when the weather warms, allowing the flow of water to be free. If the pipes have broken due to overexpansion, the water will leak through the fractures. All pipes are vulnerable to freezing, but those outside your home are particularly vulnerable.
One of the most important spring plumbing advice is to check your pipes for signs of damage and look for damp surfaces. If you notice water accumulating in one spot, it could be a sign of a burst pipe. Check your water meter to see if water consumption has abnormally risen. If it has, contact a professional plumber to resolve this situation as soon as possible.
Every day, the average Canadian uses roughly 75 liters of hot water. The use of hot water, of course, increases throughout the winter. The problem is that when water is heated, the minerals in it separate from the water molecules. These errant minerals eventually fall to the bottom of your hot water heater tank and solidify. These minerals cause your hot water heater to break down prematurely or reduce its efficiency. Water tank maintenance every spring is an easy way of preserving this essential component of your water supply.
Repair, Replacement, and Installation of Water Heaters
When you’re cleaning your water heater tank, don’t forget to check the temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve. It’s an important safety feature in water heaters since it relieves excess pressure within the tank.
TPR water valves can become stuck from time to time, especially during the cold winter months. This is especially true if they’ve developed a leak, which could cause the water to freeze. It’s best to keep an eye on your TPR water supply valve during the winter, but you should also test it in the spring.
It should be simple to pull, push, or open a fully functional TPR valve. As a result, some water and air pressure will be released, so make sure you have a bucket underneath the tank. This will allow some of the sediments in your tank to drain.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Water Heater?
If you hear your toilet running regularly, chances are that you have a leaking toilet. This indicates that it is flushing despite the fact that no one is using it. The most typical causes are failed seals and flappers. You can also look for water running down the sides of the toilet bowl, which is a sign of a leak.
You can double-check this by putting a few drops of liquid food coloring in the toilet tank. If the water in your toilet bowl has changed color after 15 to 30 minutes, you have a leaking toilet tank. A failed flapper is simple to replace, and you can get one from a hardware store. If you don’t have time to handle it yourself or if you have more than one leak, you should contact a plumber.
Several of your plumbing fixtures are connected to your home’s plumbing vent pipes. These pipes are used to exhaust sewer gases from drain pipes while simultaneously allowing fresh air to enter them.
Vent pipes, on the other hand, frequently reach well beyond the roof. This means that a portion of their opening is exposed to the bitter cold (and snow) of the winter season. As a result, they might become choked with ice and frozen vegetation. The draining effectiveness of drains connected to vents will be harmed if they become clogged.
Another reason you may have slow drains in the winter is because of this. However, if solid material gets into your plumbing vents, your problems will last all year. Contact a plumber to evaluate your plumbing vent.
According to research, Montreal’s leaking pipes, faucets, and toilets squander nearly 25% of the province’s drinking water. Not only is this a deplorable waste of water, but it also amounts to $700 million in lost revenue.
Even if you only have a single leaky tap, your house could be contributing to this loss. With a leak rate of 6 drops per minute, a faucet can lose up to 1,200 liters of water in a year. As a result, performing a whole-house leak check is recommended. A water meter test is the quickest way to find out if you have a leak.
Turn off all the faucets and make sure no one is using the water while you conduct the test once you’ve discovered your water meter. The meter’s gauge should have stopped moving at this point. If the numbers have changed after half an hour, you have a slow leak.
If you can’t figure out where the leak is coming from, it’s most likely coming from leaking water treatment equipment, a silent leaking toilet, or a pipe beneath the floor or within the wall and may require a sump pump. Your best bet is to contact a master plumber who specializes in leak repair.
Plomberie Pro Drain’s team of experts will give you the best quality and value for your money. Our licensed plumbers will guarantee that the plumbing systems in your home or business are up to date and comply with all applicable legislation.
Our team can assist you with toilets, air conditioning, heating, plumbing steel pipes, or shower redesign or repair. We have the resources, equipment, and experience to ensure a quick and efficient response to any plumbing issue.
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