Outdoor Fixtures: Check Them Out!

Canadian summers are unpredictable if nothing else. From cold fronts to heat waves, bugs to rainstorms, high winds to droughts, it’s hard to know what to expect in the morning. As a homeowner, it’s certainly enough to keep you on your toes.

It’s easy to focus on the pressing, important projects while letting things of lesser importance (or seemingly of lesser importance) fall by the wayside. A common example? Outdoor plumbing fixtures. Between mowing the lawn, keeping the house clean, maintaining your daily life and the added complications of summer, the state of your garden hose probably isn’t keeping you up at night.

The danger here is that outdoor plumbing fixtures wind up being ignored altogether until something goes catastrophically wrong. A burst pipe, a flooded backyard, mold damage…the list goes on and on. Your best defense against a potential backyard disaster is prevention. Pay attention to the fixtures, and if they need help, call an expert – stat!

Fixture Repair: Survey

Use some serious time management to set aside an afternoon devoted to your outdoor plumbing. Physically walk around your house and your yard to make sure you don’t miss anything. Write a list. Turn each tap off and on, detailing any issues you observe. Also, provide a description of any problems you visually spot.

Now, relay all of this detailed information to a plumbing professional. He or she will visit your property and conduct a thorough, “search and destroy” type inspection, analyzing each outdoor plumbing fixture and repairing any necessary problems.

After this has been accomplished, you will have the peace of mind of knowing that your outdoor plumbing is in good shape.

Outdoor Plumbing: Don’t Wait!

The earlier you get your outdoor plumbing fixtures inspected and repaired (or, if necessary, replaced), the better your summer will be. While it’s a minor inconvenience, as previously mentioned, you don’t want to wait until something goes seriously wrong.

Flooded pipes, leaks, mold, and a completely saturated yard are certainly not events you want to contend with this summer. Simply call a plumbing expert so that any potential problems can be addressed and rectified sooner rather than later. You will save yourself time, money and aggravation.

Once you’ve taken care of your outdoor plumbing, you can focus on other projects like repainting your fence, cleaning out the garage, or catching some rays.

Outdoor Fixture Installation: When it’s Unfixable

There are some plumbing problems that even the most skilled plumbing experts can’t fix. Some breaks are irreparable, and it makes more sense to replace the broken fixture rather than attempting to fix it to no avail. Some signs a fixture is beyond repair include:

• Water is constantly running from the pipe, faucet or hose bib.
• Rust or oxidation has degraded the structural integrity of the fixture.
• There is standing water around the base of the source.
• The presence of mold anywhere near the fixture.
• Shrieking, banging or clanging sounds from the plumbing.
• Cracks (especially those due to freezing).
• The presence of any mineral deposits.

Remember to add evaluating, tuning up (and, if necessary, repairing or replacing) your outdoor plumbing fixtures to your summer to-do list. Call the team at ProSolutions Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning today at (780) 851-9461 to schedule a consultation today.