Plumbing in Southern California has a major advantage over that in much of the rest of the country: no intense low temperatures during the winter! This means pipes aren’t in danger of freezing, leaving homes with seriously damaged plumbing systems when the spring weather starts. And without snowmelt, there’s less worrying about problems with sump pumps.
However, we still recommend you make a few checks of your home’s plumbing in Riverside, CA and elsewhere in So. Cal this spring. You may catch some issues, allowing you to have them repaired early by our professionals.
- Check for toilet leaks: Toilet leaks can often escape detection until they start to create major water waste. You can do a simple test to see if there’s a leak from the water tank to the bowl: place six drops of food coloring (or a food coloring tablet) into the tank. If you see the color enter the bowl within a half hour, there’s a leak somewhere. Our plumbers can help.
- Find dripping and leaking faucets: Look over all the faucets in your home. There are probably a few you don’t use often (such as in guest rooms). Check to see if there are water droplets in the basin indicating leaks, and have them fixed if there are. Even slow leaks add up to a big waste of water over the year.
- Examine exposed pipes: It’s tough to determine if hidden pipes are leaking; professionals have to do the work of leak detection to find out where these leaks are occurring. But you can make checks on all the exposed pipes for signs of slow leaks, such as the drainpipes below sinks.
- Run a test for hidden leaks: Yes, you can check on hidden leaks as well! The way to do it is to right down the number on your water meter, then shut off all fixtures and water-using appliances for an hour. Then re-check the meter. If its number has risen, you have water leaks somewhere. Call our plumbers for leak detection.
Sweetwater Plumbing serves all of Southern California. We are always open for business!