Whenever the seasons change (and in turn, the weather does too), it’s important to be mindful of how this may impact your plumbing system. Unsurprisingly, here in Kansas City, we all know how unpredictable the weather can be at times. As such, it’s always best to be proactive and plan ahead. In other words, you don’t want to have to deal with a plumbing emergency that could have easily been avoided.

With the first day of fall being a little over a month away and summer coming to a close, we wanted to have this week’s blog post primarily focus on tips on what you should be doing before fall. Prior to discussing that though, we would like to say hello to anyone that may be stopping by our blog for the first time. Stine-Nichols Plumbing is a local plumbing company based out of North Kansas City, MO. Offering residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services, our team of experienced plumbing professionals work all throughout the Kansas City area. Our plumbing blog is designed to help homeowners and facility managers better understand their plumbing systems. The more knowledge you have on the in’s and out’s of the various plumbing components, the better off you’ll be in limiting the occurrence of plumbing problems!

Having said all of that, as alluded to above, we’re going to discuss a few things you may want to do before the fall season starts.

Test Your Sump Pump

While the spring and summer seasons generally have the highest rainfall totals here in Kansas City, there’s no denying that September and early-October can also have heavy rains. Not to mention, when the snowfall starts, you have to take into consideration what can happen after that snow/ice melts too. Long story short, what I’m hinting at here is that you’ll want to make sure your sump pump is functioning properly and ready to go! This is likely an item you’ll want to add to your regular maintenance to-do list regardless, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to complete this task when the seasons change each year.

In addition to inspecting the various components, you’ll also want to simply test the sump and ensure it kicks on like normal. To do so, you’ll need to pour water into the pit and once it reaches a certain level, you should see it turn on and start to disperse the water out through the discharge line. After this, head outside to where the line leads to and double check that it’s headed away from the foundation.

Have a Plan for Freezing Temps

Considering the first day of fall will be September 23rd, it likely won’t be long after that before we have our first freeze of the season as that could arrive in mid to late October. With that in mind, even though this blog was geared towards preparing for the fall season, it wouldn’t hurt to also make a mental note about to-do’s you’ll need to complete once potential freezing weather pops up on the forecast. With this, you’ll want to be cognizant of the damage that can be caused from frozen pipes. So…what items should you prioritize once you notice a potential for freezing temperatures?

  • Disconnect outdoor hoses – For most homeowners, this is likely a no brainer, but it’s also easy to forget about since the winter weather can certainly sneak up on you. Make sure to disconnect the outdoor hoses and store them in your garage.
  • Inspect current pipes and remember common best practices – Since plumbing isn’t something that’s consistently on your mind, it’s easy to forget about it until something goes awry. In addition to obviously looking for any leaks, it’s also a good idea to be mindful of any uninsulated pipes that are in an unheated part of the house. Not to mention, also remember the best practices for when the temps get particularly frigid overnight, such as opening cabinet doors under the sink and letting faucets slowly drip.

Flush Your Water Heater (if you haven’t already)

Without a doubt, the water heater is an integral part of any plumbing system. It is something we need working on a daily basis and as such, maintenance is very important! As we’ve said several times before here on our plumbing blog, an annual water heater flush is going to be something you’ll want to complete. While you can flush it more frequently than once a year (especially if you’re dealing with harder water), doing so on a yearly basis is typically a general rule of thumb that we share with customers. The mineral build-up that can occur as a result of hard water can force your water heater to work harder to perform its normal functions, thus leading to it needing to be replaced earlier than expected.

Need someone to flush your water heater for you? No matter if it’s a storage tank water heater or a tankless unit, our team of trained technicians can easily complete this task for you on a short service call. Give us a call at (816) 348-3481 and we’ll get you on the schedule!

Clear Your Gutters

You were likely expecting this final section to be about inspecting your faucets or cleaning your drains (which are certainly worthwhile tasks to complete). However, I wanted to close this blog post out by talking about something that is an important part of owning a home (especially if you have big trees around your house) and that happens to be the job of cleaning out your gutters. Gutters serve a similar purpose as the sump pump, which involves preventing water damage inside your home and we all know the potential financial repercussions that can arise from interior water damage. While each house is different and some may require more frequent maintenance, we recommend adding gutter cleaning to your regular to-do list as well. Whether you opt to do that once now and then later on as more leaves have fallen in early fall is entirely up to you, but you’ll just want to make sure everything is in working order!

Your Local Plumbing Pros in Kansas City

Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, we understand that plumbing issues can arise at any time, no matter what the weather is like outside. Furthermore, while some of the time these problems could have been prevented, that is not always the case! Sometimes, plumbing issues are simply inevitable as a result of everyday wear and tear! Nonetheless, as a homeowner or facility manager, the best thing you can do is perform the recommended maintenance, know how to tell when something isn’t right and avoid procrastinating on the repairs. If you follow those three steps, you’ll be in great shape! Not to mention, you’ll also want to make sure you hire an experienced plumber to avoid having to fix the same plumbing problem multiple times!

As shown throughout this week’s blog post, there are several things you can do over the next few weeks before fall arrives, as well as in the early weeks of fall with the winter season quickly approaching. If you live in or near the Kansas City area, we would be happy to help with any plumbing projects that you may have! To request a free estimate, feel free to either give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. We look forward to hearing from you!