5 DIY Spring Home Preparation Steps

With the transition into spring each year, we find that homeowners often wonder what spring home preparation they can do to get ready for the season. With that in mind, we’ve put together our top 5 DIY home prep steps. Here’s the list to get you started this spring.

SPRING HOME PREPARATION STEP #1: INSPECT OUTSIDE HOSE BIBS

If you’re wondering, What is a hose bib? A hose bib is your outside spigot. It may be located in your garage, on the side of your house, or out back. You may have a few. A hose bib is the connection point for your yard house (or a kid’s mouth in those hot summer months!).

As Spring gets rolling, it’s important to check all of your hose bibs for leaks. Whether your home has knobbed, round plastic, or frost-free hose bibs, these faucets can develop leaks. It’s a good idea to check these exterior spigots when the weather starts to warm up. This will help you evaluate what your home and plumbing service needs might be for the season. The good news is that if you do have a leaky hose bib, these are often easy fixes.

SPRING HOME PREPARATION STEP #2: CHECK GUTTER CONNECTIONS

You’ll also want to grab a ladder and make sure that for everywhere your home has a gutter downspout connection, it is secure. This an easy task to knock out quickly, and it can save a lot of headache down the road. Ensuring your gutters are properly connected to their exterior downspouts means you won’t get nasty waterfalls leaking into your yard and flooding a patch of grass or a flowerbed.

Securing your gutter downspout connection can be as simple as tightening a couple screws or adjusting the elbow connector to fit more snugly.

SPRING HOME PREPARATION STEP #3: CHECK DOWNSPOUT LINES

If your gutter and downspout are all set, it’s time to move on to the underground downspout drain line. A downspout drain line needs to flow freely. Similarly to a bad gutter downspout connection on the other end, you can get a backup if your drain line is clogged. To check that your underground drain line is unobstructed, first take a look at where the downspout runs into the ground. Is the downspout elbow in good shape? Do you see water coming out around the seam after it rains? Swapping in a new PVC elbow for the old one may solve the issue.

This video on Know How Now’s Youtube channel shows a creative way to test for a clogged drain line when there isn’t rain. You’ll need a drain snake plus cord, tape, and a rag, a DIY spirit, and a free afternoon! Otherwise, feel free to give us a call. One of our Columbus area technicians can test, diagnose, and fix any blockages in a jiff!

SPRING HOME PREPARATION STEP #4: FLUSH HOT WATER TANKS

Hot water tanks aren’t cheap. Whether you go with an electric hot water heater or a gas model, these babies are an investment. If you’re like us, you probably want to get the most life out of your tank that you possibly can. As we roll into March and April, it’s a great time to flush your hot water tank and remove all the buildup that has accumulated over the last year. Periodically flushing the tank is essential maintenance that will keep your investment in top shape for years to come.

Of course, we’ll be happy to take a look and give you our recommendation if you think you need a new gas or electric water heater installation. Just give us a ring!

SPRING HOME PREPARATION STEP #5: DO YOUR SUMP PUMP MAINTENANCE

Another quick DIY step in spring home preparation is to run through our basic sump pump maintenance list.

Clear it out

Rocks, mud, and other debris can clog your sump pump and cause it to operate poorly or fail. Clearing these out of your sump pump pit will help it run better. This will help you avoid flooding and other problems down the road.

Test it

To test your sump pump, simply reach in and lift the float switch until you hear the pump kick on. If you don’t hear the noise of your pump starting, your sump pump may need servicing. Homebuyer’s School has a helpful video that shows this process along with a few other useful tips.

Check your backup

If you have a backup sump pump, spring is also a good time to make sure the battery on it is in good shape. If your home is running on a single sump pump, you might consider having a residential plumber install another pump in your home. Having a backup can make a big difference in the event that your sump pump fails.

So there you have it! There are quite a bit of spring DIY home prep steps you can take to prepare for the season. If your hose bibs, downspouts, hot water tank, and sump pump system all check out, you should be in pretty good shape! If you find any problems you can’t fix on your own or don’t have the time, call up your Columbus plumbers. We’re happy to help with any plumbing question or come out and solve it for you. Here’s hoping for lots of warm, working-around-the-house weather this spring. Good luck!