Brr! It got chilly quickly in the Las Vegas Valley. Many Las Vegas homeowners are woefully unprepared for colder weather. Since we don’t get the gradual decline from summer to fall to winter, it’s common to see homeowners suddenly stuck with a cold-related plumbing problem. Our plumbers have put together their top maintenance tips for keeping your plumbing healthy during the fall.
-
Prepare Your Water Heater for Cold Temperatures
Your water heater is a hardworking appliance. It pumps water constantly to ensure your family doesn’t get stuck taking cold showers. You should complete a full maintenance check on your water heater in the fall before temperatures get cold. This entails doing a water flush, checking for erosion, and setting the temperature to a moderate 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Flushing the tank gets rid of any sediment buildup collected from the year’s supply of hard water. A great time to look for signs of erosion is when you flush your tank, usually red rust on the seals or cracking towards the base. If you notice a lot of wear, consider replacing your water heater.
-
Clean Out Your Gutters
Rain is so rare in the Las Vegas area that homeowners frequently disregard preventative maintenance until it’s too late. One of the big issues our plumbing experts run into each fall is water damage from clogged gutters. Neglecting to clean the gutters allows debris to build up. When it does rain, the water cannot properly drain. Light rain may not cause lasting damage, but any amount of standing water on the roof will invariably cause severe problems. To avoid this happening, follow our maintenance tip and clean out your gutters during the fall.
-
Service Your Sump Pump
Your home’s sump pump is an extremely important piece of equipment that you likely never think about. The sump pump is responsible for sending water away from your home, into whatever sewage disposal system your area uses. A home’s sump pump is often housed in the garage or outside, both of which can easily expose it to frigid temps. If your sump pump freezes, you’ll lose the ability to pump the waste out of the home. That’s a big problem! To avoid this happening, service your sump pump at the beginning of the fall. Have a professional plumber come to inspect it for any damage and thoroughly insulate it.
-
Care for Your Outdoor Faucets and Hoses
You may not often think about the water left inside hoses, but it can be a serious issue if left unattended in cold temperatures. Fall is the best time to check your outside plumbing. The summer is usually too hot, and the winter poses too many risks. Our tip for maintaining your outdoor plumbing in the fall is to inspect all outdoor pipes. Make sure there’s no cracking on any of them and that they all have properly fitting insulation. Run water through each one to make sure there are no leaks. Empty all the hoses and remove them from the faucets. Any water left inside a hose during cold weather is bound to freeze. Frozen water expands, so your hose will be ruined if this happens.
For more common plumbing and other related tips, please contact Sin City Plumbing.
