Spring Plumbing Tips In Plano

Spring in Texas is upon us and we’ve just recently been reminded how unpredictable the weather can be.  With warm sunny weather, you might be working in your garden or doing home repairs.  When it’s stormy, then there is always spring cleaning in the home to be taken care of.  So how does this relate to plumbers in Plano, Frisco or Carrollton? Well, your plumbing can be as unpredictable as the Texas weather.  We put together a couple of spring plumbing tips for inside and outside your house.

1. When you’re doing any deep gardening, Don’t forget to call 811 before you dig.  You don’t want to water your new plants and vegetables from a broken water pipe in your yard!  If you’re planning any major repairs in your yard done or are planting shrubs and trees, you need to make sure you know exactly where the underground lines are located. Marking your utility lines will keep you safe and avoid unnecessary damage.

2. Check your yard for signs of “squishy” or soaked areas.  It could be slow drainage, or something more severe.  If rains form pools of water that are not draining into the ground properly, that could be a sign that you have a broken or leaky pipe.  We often see pipes that crack from freezes in the winter but don’t really become evident until the Spring rains come.  Now that the weather is warming up, check your yard for moist areas where your water pipes run from the street to your home.

3. Many times we see leaks inside that come from toilets.  If you tested your water line for a suspected leak and had all your faucets off but still suspect an inside leak, try testing again by turning off your toilet.  There is a shut off valve for turning off your toilet right behind the bowl.  If this stops the water meter from moving, then your leak is coming from the toilet.

4. Now that we’re speaking of toilet leaks and repair, let’s cover cleaning. If you want to avoid scratching the porcelain on your commode, check your brush. As soon as you see that the bristles have worn down, time to throw it away; Especially if any metal is showing. Not only does it mar the appearance, but also once the bowl is scratched, it’s very difficult to keep clean. A plastic brush is less likely to scratch the china.

5. If you notice any chips on your commode, sinks or bathtubs, you can easily fix them with a porcelain/sink chip repair kit.  You can purchase a kit at most home or hardware stores. There is usually a wide range in colors.

6. One last Spring tip to go: Drain your water heater.  Sediment can build up in your water heater over time and it becomes less efficient.  We recommend you drain the sediment from the tank every six months to a year.
We certainly hope you have a wonderful Spring and Summer with no plumbing problems. But if you do, don’t delay.  When plumbing is a concern, it is better to fix it now rather than have a worse problem later.  Just call Signature Plumbing Company when trouble arises at 214-918-1075. We will always be here to help.