Fall is here! Temperatures are dropping and rain is falling which may seem like a bad thing, but we also get hockey and football, colourful leaves falling, thanksgiving weekend and warm clothes and blankets. It’s a love hate relationship with most people and Autumn, but one thing you must show a bit of love to during Fall, is your plumbing!
During the Fall season, your plumbing gets hit hard! Especially in Maple Ridge, we see a huge increase in rainfall and a huge decrease in temperature. There’s maybe nothing worse for you plumbing than these 2 things. Your plumbing was built to last and can easily take on the Autumn challenge, but unfortunately sometimes things do go wrong.
In this blog, we’ll give you some tips, tricks and secrets to prepare yourself and your plumbing this Fall in Maple Ridge BC.
Table of Contents
Prepare for the Rain
If you live in Maple Ridge, Coquitlam or anywhere in the Lower Mainland, you know the inevitable is coming. Those dreaded Fall months full of rain are on the way, and as sad as that makes us, there is some preparing to do.
The B.C REA Floodplain Maps Report, shows that to 109 communities in B.C, the Fall season is the second highest driver of floods, and heavy rainfall is the fourth highest driver of floods. In Vancouver alone, the city saw nearly 500mm of rainfall just through the last two months of winter, and this number will likely increase in this year’s stretch.
Whatever drain system you use, have it checked now! If you’re unsure on how to inspect your drainage system, have a friendly Mr. Swirl plumber come assess your plumbing system in Maple Ridge today.
Flood in Maple Ridge
Check your Pipe Insulation
The insulation around your piping is what protects it from freezing every year. Essentially, without your insulation, your home can’t function properly and you will wind up with burst pipes everywhere.
Pipe insulation is the unsung hero of keeping you up and running during the cold months. As the weather turns, we highly recommend that you check on all your pipe insulation to ensure it’s functionality.
Have your Drain Lines Inspected by Camera
Due to a variety of factors including weather and increased usage, drain lines are very fragile and susceptible during Autumn. Have these drain lines inspected with Mr. Swirl’s fancy drain line cameras which can sniff out a problem long before it happens. Being able to see the inside of your pipes could spot the difference between a smooth Fall and having your whole home flood!
Drain Line Camera Inspection
Shutting Off Hose Water
This one may seem obvious, most homeowners know to shut off the water to their outdoor hoses before Winter starts, however we still see a handful of property owners in Maple Ridge every year who still forget! The result, a burst line and repairs needed. It’s easy enough to just find your shutoff valve and be ahead of the curve by shutting it off this Fall before the real cold snap happens.
Locate your Water Main Shutoff Valve and Educate Others
If you don’t know where your water main shutoff valve is, you need to locate it right now! It’s so important because if there’s an emergency and your house is flooding, shutting the valve will usually stop it immediately.
Once you know where your shutoff valve is, it’s time to show everyone you live with, where it is. We can’t stress enough how important this is. We’ve seen so many minor floods in Maple Ridge become major floods and restoration projects just because the property owner didn’t know where their shutoff valve was. In the season known for floods, please locate your water main shutoff valve and show it to everyone you live with and maybe even a friendly neighbour!
Flush your Water Heater
The increased usage of hot water is obvious during the Fall months. Nothing is better than coming home to a hot shower after day in the cold or rain! That’s why Mr. Swirl wants you to avoid any malfunctions at the worst moment.
Whether you use a hot water tank or tankless water heater, both need seasonal maintenance. The most important maintenance to get done on your water heater, is having it flushed. Sediment will buildup in your water heater and flushing it with a special solution is the only way to remove it effectively. Tankless water heater flushings and hot water tank flushings are both very important and Mr. Swirl can perform either for you this fall!
Get your Sump Pump Inspected
As you probably know, your sump pump is your last stop saviour against floods. If something goes wrong in your plumbing system and water begins to pool and flood, it will find its way to your sump basin and be pumped out away from your property.
Now, if your sump pump is froze over, the pump isn’t working or the discharge line is clogged, then you mind as well not even have one. Please inspect your sump pump and test it out ahead of the flood season!
Keep an Eye on your Gutters
What is autumn most known for? The leaves! Leaves falling from trees are nice and all, they make the Maple Ridge sidewalks look pretty and fun for kids, but they are a huge pain for you and your property. As if raking them up wasn’t enough, they get in the gutters too. Having a gutter full of leaves can be a huge problem for your plumbing. The leaves redirect water, soak it up, cause leaks, overloads and can cause significant water damage. Clean out your gutters once at the beginning of Fall and keep an eye on them throughout the Fall, if you see them fill up with leaves again, cleaning them up sooner rather than later, is always recommended.
Set your Optimal Water Heater Temperature
It’s possible that for the summer, you lowered your water heater temperature, or maybe it was reset during a power failure, or maybe you just want it changed! The best time to do this is the start of Fall, so that you’re set up for a comfortable and relaxing Autumn and Winter.
Whether you accept it or not, Fall is upon us. Cold weather, rainy days and falling leaves have already started and we want you to be able to enjoy yourself during this time. We highly recommend having these suggestions looked after now so that you don’t get bogged down in to-do lists in November.
The best way to get this done, is have Mr. Swirl out to your home and knock it all out at once. Having the peace of mind, knowing your prepared for the harsh seasons, no emergencies waiting to happen is very powerful. You’ll feel relaxed and be able to focus on what’s most important.
If you reside anywhere else in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley or Greater Vancouver Area, have Mr. Swirl Fall-proof your property this year!
