With the warmer spring temperatures just around the corner for many Australians, you are no doubt putting your spring cleaning chore list together. However, as someone who is spending their first spring in their new home, have you included a spring clean of your plumbing pipes on your list? Many Australians neglect to do this, which can lead to expensive plumbing repairs down the road. If you do nothing else with your plumbing right now, at least consider adding these two tasks to your spring cleaning needs.
Plumbing Pipe Inspection
Spring is the perfect time of year to get a plumber out to do a visual inspection of your plumbing. This is because one of the biggest causes of plumbing pipe blockages is tree roots. During the winter months, the trees in your garden go dormant so they can survive against the winter cold. But with the warmer temps comes an awakening of your trees, and this includes their roots.
Plumbers inspect pipes by placing a camera into the system so they can see how many tree roots are causing an issue and can help identify which tree owns them. A plumber can remove minor tree root blockages by forcing high-pressure water into the pipe to break them up. However, thick root tangles may require the pipe to be excavated and then replaced. The sooner you find a tree root problem, the less plumbing damage is done.
Look For Leaks
Your water consumption is already going to increase during spring as you start to water the lawns and gardens again, so why pay for wasted water from leaks? Water leaks can easily become overlooked once your consumption usage rises, but there are a couple of ways you can find out if you have a leakage issue.
One of the easiest ways to check for leaks is to head out to your water meter right before you go to bed at night. Most water meters are located on the ground at the front of your property so you'll need to take a torch outside with you. Read the meter and make a note of this reading on a piece of paper. The next morning, head outside and read the meter again. Because you use no water during sleeping hours, it should not have changed. If there is a change in the reading, this is a leak indicator.
If you suspect a leak, call your plumber to come and locate it for you. A plumber can also do testing to determine if you have a leak at home if you want further evidence. Either way, getting your pipes inspected and your leaks detected now means you can cross two things off your spring cleaning chore list.
