Is your plumbing ready for spring? At your home? At your cottage or any other seasonal or year-round residence that you may have?
Spring can reveal or bring plumbing issues particularly if there is a lot of rain. Excessive rainwater can pool on the ground and what is unabsorbed will infiltrate your residence, seeping in through the cracks in the foundation or through old caulking around the basement windows and window wells.
Flood-prone areas can also create problems as water levels rise with the spring runoff.
Having a sump pump will help mitigate potential damage. However, if it hasn’t been used in a while it would be a good idea to check it.
Lift the float and make sure it works. Pour some water in slowly to see if the pump comes on automatically. If you have a battery backup pump system, check the charge, the light indicator, and the alarm. The battery may need to be replaced.
Check for plumbing leaks in the water lines and taps. If the leak is hidden in the wall, look for signs of dampness. Also, have a look under the sink for any water too.
If the outside tap and attached hose weren’t drained before winter, it could affect the plumbing inside the house. The waterline may split between the inside shutoff and the outside tap, especially on a frost-free hose bibb/tap.
Do a maintenance check on all your drains. Are they draining slowly? A slow-moving drain could develop into a fully blocked drain pipe.
Drains block for a variety of reasons. A kitchen sink drain may become plugged with food debris, grease, or fat. In the bathroom, the sink drain could clog with a congealed mix of soap, toothpaste, and hair while the toilet is most likely to clog from things being dropped in it and inadvertently flushed. Some of the items that plumbers have found range from toys (from pets and children) to false teeth, eyeglasses, cellphones, and keys.
Toilets can also plug from the flushing of inappropriate items such as dental floss, tissues, wet wipes, napkins, diapers, cat litter, and hygiene products. It’s best to use the garbage instead. Keeping chemical cleaners out of the toilet will go a long way to extending their life.
For seasonal cottages, turning the water on in the spring may result in some unpleasant surprises. If anything was forgotten in the fall shutdown of the water, it will become apparent now. Depending on the severity of the winter, how many freeze/thaw cycles occurred, and if the cottage shifted, water lines may split.
Getting the water system up and running is one of the biggest aspects of opening the cottage in the spring. Pumps can fail to prime and may need to be replaced. The filter system, if you have one, will need to be turned on with new filters and the UV light checked.
If you use the filter system drinking water, have the water tested for e-coli and bacteria to make sure the UV light is working properly or if it needs to be replaced.
Once the water is up and running, check to make sure the prime is holding. If it isn’t there’s an issue with your pump. Check the incoming water lines for leaks or split pipes and check the hot water tank too.
The other half of the equation is outgoing water or wastewater to the septic system. If it isn’t gravity-fed, the septic pump will need to be turned on and tested. If the motor runs but can’t move the wastewater, there’s an issue with the pump. It’s also possible the line to the septic bed is frozen.
Once everything is working correctly, and the frost is out of the ground, have the septic system pumped out.
Plumbtech Plumbing takes care of a lot of cottage start-ups in the spring, turning on the water and fixing any issues so it is ready to go for cottage owners. The Barrie-based business serves Simcoe County, Muskoka, and Parry Sound areas. There is an emergency service available too.
