Can it really be Summer is finally just around the corner. And after a year of stuck indoors, you likely have plans to seriously enjoy the warm months and live life as carefree as possible. Your home’s plumbing probably isn’t high on your list of things to think about right now. But preventative maintenance before those summer days come can give you peace of mind all season long.

“You could host families and friends in the summer and the use of your home’s plumbing will increase. “Be proactive instead of reactive.”

Make sure you do the following projects to ensure a disaster-free summer.

1. Clean any debris from your home’s drains

Drains can become sticky and build up residue over time from daily hand washing, showering, and other chores. While doing your pre-summer maintenance, it’s important to clean the drains to avoid unexpected clogs.

“While some homeowners rely on commercial drain cleaners to get their job done, it’s not always the best or safest option,” says Pruitt. “Consider using an all natural and cheaper option to clean your drains.”

He suggests pouring half a cup of baking soda down the drain, then half a cup of vinegar. The chemical reaction helps clear blockages. After 10 to 15 minutes, slowly pour hot water to remove any remaining residue.

“If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, swap it out for lemon juice – the acidity of lemons can have a similar effect on cleaning your drains,” says Pruitt.

2. Clean the gutters from summer rain

Many plumbers consider gutters to be part of their plumbing system because they move water away from your home. If the gutters become overfilled with water, it can damage the foundation of the house and the walls of the basement, creating cracks that can grow over time.

Pruitt says all kinds of dirt can end up in your gutters, including leaves, twigs, seeds, and even wind-carried trash like plastic bags.

“When this happens, the first part of your home at risk of water damage is the roof, as water buildup can rot your facade, clapboard, and the edge of your roofline,” he says.

“To clean your gutters, use a ladder on level ground that clicks into place,” he says. “Hang an empty bucket at the top of the ladder to catch the debris you want to remove, and be sure to use work gloves when removing the debris.”

Using a hand-held garden tool like a trowel can be useful in cleaning gutters and help scrape up mud from the gutter bottom. Once the gutter is clear, use a hose to wash it completely clean and make sure the water flows freely through the downspout.

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3. Test your toilets for leaks

A likely source of pipeline leaks is a broken flap, a small piece of rubber that acts as a stopper and separates the tank from the bowl. When the toilet is flushed, the flap lifts so that water can flow into the bowl below and wash away the rubbish. However, over time, the rubber can degrade, wear out, and crack.

“A good way to test for a leaky valve is to put a few drops of food coloring on top of the tank where the valve and flush valve are. Check that the water in the bowl turns the color of the food coloring you added, ”said Aaron Mulder, co-owner and operations manager of Mr. Rooter of San Antonio.

If you see paint, you have a leaking / surrendering door. Mulder says you can expect to replace your flappers every two to three years. They can be purchased at a local hardware store or home center.

4. Rinse the water heater to remove any buildup

This is one of those annual chores that should be tackled with the rest of your spring cleaning. As the year progresses, calcium and magnesium that can build up in your water heater solidify and potentially mix with dirt and other inclusions and become sediments that build up at the bottom of your tank. The sediment could increase the chances of a leak coming from the bottom of the tank and preventing your water heater from heating as effectively.

“Flushing your water heater is generally an easy task. All you need is a hose that attaches tightly to the flush valve on the side of your tank and a large bucket, ”says Don Glovan, Franchise Consultant at Mr. Rooter Plumbing.

He says that you first close the gas or power connection to your tank and connect the hose to the drain valve. Make sure the other end of the hose is in a large bucket or rain drain, open the drain valve, and let the water drain. Open your temperature and pressure relief valve at the same time.

If there are sediment crystals in the bucket, continue to drain the water. When no more crystals appear at the bottom, close the drain valve and allow the tank to refill.

“Then restart your indicator light or turn your power back on and your tank should heat up again,” he says.

5. Inspect and maintain your septic tank

If your home has a sewage treatment plant, it’s a good idea to make sure your septic tank is ready for additional summer use. This means that you maintain your system well and practice good septic hygiene.

“Regular maintenance can help prevent problems before they happen so that sewage doesn’t get into your garden or home,” says Pruitt. “How often you need inspections and maintenance will vary depending on the type of system you have, but most of them need to be checked by an inspector at least every three years.”

He says a septic inspector will check for leaks, clogs, and other malfunctions and determine if the tank needs to be pumped to remove the solids, the frequency depending on the size of your system, how many people are using it, and how much waste you produce.

The post 5 Plumbing Upkeep Duties To Deal with Earlier than the Summer time Months appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

December is a difficult month to focus on house maintenance. There is so much holiday joy to hang up and drink that routine chores seem like a damp blanket over the spirit of Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Festivus. However, you can get yourself an early Christmas present by doing just a little maintenance before the cold weather really sets in.

We’ve created a handy checklist of home maintenance tasks to do this month and tips on how to get them done faster and easier – or with the help of a professional.

Observe: It’s the time of year to complete these 3 simple home maintenance tasks

Check these tasks off your list, then sit back with a couple of cups of eggnog and enjoy the rest of the year. (Tip: don’t drink while operating a snow blower. You’ll thank us later!)

1. Snow removal

Task: Remove snow and ice from sidewalks.

Abbreviation: To use a snow blower and avoid having to constantly adjust the slide, start in the middle of the driveway and blow the snow to one side. Then do a U-turn and blow the snow to the other side. (Yes, it’s that simple.) Refuel and oil your snowthrower now in case you suddenly need it.]

Using a shovel will clear the snow after every 2 or 3 inches of snowfall, which is far better for your back, heart, and general condition than trying to lift a foot or more of snow.

Call the pros: Hiring a neighborhood kid will likely cost you $ 25 and a cup of hot chocolate. Hiring a professional costs $ 40 to $ 65, depending on the length of your driveway and the depth of snow. It is best to sign a contract with a snow removal service (read: now) and set a price at the beginning of the snow season. The last thing you want is to ask a plow operator to clear your driveway after a blizzard when it’s most in demand.

2. Avoid ice jams

Task: Prevent ice dams in your gutter and roof that can force water into your home.

Abbreviation: If you live in a cold or snowy climate, you can install heating cables along the edge of the roof to keep the snow from freezing. Fifty feet of cable cost about $ 230.

Call the pros: A roofer installs heating cables on your roof for an average of $ 817. If your roof is particularly steep or large, you’ll pay more.

3. Spice up insulation

Task: Check the attic insulation to make sure it hasn’t deteriorated or flattened, affecting efficiency.

Abbreviation: Look over your attic and see if the insulation matches the floor joists in the attic or if it is packed down below – which indicates you need more. (If it’s wrapped under the top of the joists, it loses some of its insulating power.) The cheapest way to improve insulation is to ditch fiberglass mats, which cost about $ 100 to $ 500 for an 800 square foot open area Attic.

Call the pros: Taking down the insulation is labor intensive and can be messy. You can hire a company to insulate an 8,000-square-foot attic for $ 400 to $ 1,800, depending on the type and insulation value of the material you choose.

4. Set up / dismantle holiday decorations

Save time next year by wrapping your lights around a cable holder this year.

(quavondo / iStock)

Task: Before hanging decorations, make sure to replace your old lightbulbs with LED lights that will stay cooler and reduce the risk of fire.

Abbreviation: If you hang lights in the same spot every year, install permanent hangers that will save time every year after that. Turning off the lights will prevent them from becoming tangled by wrapping them around a cord hanger or heavy cardboard, or threading them in and around an old Pringles can.

Call the pros: The cost of hiring professionals to light your home like the Griswolds’ homes varies from place to place and depends on the size of the project. For example, this San Antonio, TX company charges $ 149 to $ 1,399 for hanging lights you own. The prices for mining are between $ 99 and $ 299.

5. Prepare your home for guests

Task: Beautify your guest room for your friends and family. Wash sheets and blankets for the vacation.

Abbreviation: You can buy brand new linens – comforters, sheets, pillow cases – for less than $ 50 to give the rooms a new look. Fill a basket with bottles of water, sacks of nuts, and tiny tubes of shampoo and conditioner taken from hotels (come on, we know we’re not the only ones doing this).

Call the pros: Hire a cleaning service to help. A one-time cleaning of a one-story house with an area of ​​1,300 square feet costs $ 95 to $ 300.

6. Clean the chimney

Task: This is a must whether you are burning logs or having a gas fireplace. If you haven’t had a chimney sweep this year, now is the time to get involved before setting the baby on fire – dirty chimneys are a leading cause of house fires. (Pro tip: To keep things clean year round, remove fireplace ash after every fire. If you have a compost heap, throw ashes there to create lush soil.)

Abbreviation: You can clean the chimney yourself, but it’s not for the faint of heart. You will need plastic wrap and tape, various types of chimney brushes, safety equipment and a reliable ladder, as well as a desire to climb your roof. Does that sound like you?

Call the pros: We recommend this route to make sure your chimney is fully refurbished before setting fire to a Christmas wood. The standard chimney inspection costs between $ 100 and $ 250, depending on the accessibility of the roof and the type of chimney.

7. Avoid ice hazards

Task: Take action to resolve issues that could prove dangerous in freezing weather. Turn off the water by the outer spigots, drain them, and leave them open all winter to minimize the chance of frozen, burst pipes. Make sure that outside stair railings are not wobbly or someone could slip and fall onto icy steps. Wrap exposed plumbing in your basement and garage with heat tape to allow the water to flow freely in cold snapshots. Cut off overhanging branches that can cause roof damage if they snap into place under the weight of snow or ice.

Abbreviation: If the branches aren’t too big or difficult to reach, use a pole saw or secateurs. Just don’t dare go up on the roof to do the job.

Call the pros: The cost of tree branch removal varies, but is typically between $ 50 and $ 75.

8. Get rid of living things

Task: We mentioned this last month, but it has to be repeated during these cold months. Squirrels, rats, and raccoons crawl through every hole or crack in your toasted attic to stay warm. If you hear the patter of little feet above you, or discover that the instant ramen in your pantry has been mysteriously attacked, you’ll need to set traps or lay poison.

Abbreviation: Keeping pests away is so much easier than driving them away. Check the exterior of your home to make sure the vents are covered, the holes are patched, and the cracks are sealed.

Call the pros: Most animal removal companies will get rid of pests for you, but at a high cost. For example, if you have squirrels, you’ll pay $ 300 to $ 1,500 to inspect, set up traps, remove the squirrels, and seal the entry points. Now enjoy the holidays!

The post Eight House Upkeep Duties You Ought to Do in December appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.