Spring Plumbing Checklist for Halton Region Homeowners
Spring is hands-down the best time of year to walk through your home's plumbing. After a Halton Region winter, any freeze damage that happened quietly under the surface will start to show itself. The ground thaws, groundwater rises, and suddenly that slow drip you didn't notice all winter becomes a real problem.
Sump pumps sit dormant for months during cold weather — spring is exactly when you want to test them, before the heavy rain and snowmelt of April actually arrive. I've been called out to flooded basements in Milton every spring because a sump pump that hadn't been checked just... didn't kick on.
Take an hour and work through this list. Most of it takes five minutes per item.
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1. Test Your Sump Pump
Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit. The float should rise and trigger the pump automatically. Watch it drain, then listen for any grinding or struggling. If the pump runs but drains slowly, the discharge line might be clogged. If it doesn't run at all, you need a service call before spring rains hit. A sump pump failure in April can mean thousands of dollars in basement water damage.
2. Inspect Outdoor Faucets and Hose Bibs for Freeze Damage
Turn each outdoor faucet on and check that the water flows normally. Then shut it off and watch for dripping — a faucet that keeps dripping after being closed often has a cracked interior valve from a winter freeze. Also check the wall around each hose bib for soft drywall or discolouration, which signals water has been getting in.
3. Check for Water Stains That Appeared Over Winter
Walk your basement, check your ceilings, and look along the base of exterior walls. New water stains that weren't there last fall are a sign that something leaked during the winter — a roof, a pipe, or a failed seal. Catching it in spring before another season of rain is the right time to deal with it, not next fall when it's gotten worse.
4. Flush Your Water Heater
Sediment from your water supply (calcium and mineral deposits, especially in Halton Region's harder water) settles at the bottom of your tank over winter. Connect a hose to the drain valve at the base of the tank, run it to a floor drain, and flush out a few gallons until the water runs clear. This improves efficiency and extends the life of your heater. While you're at it, check the temperature setting — 49°C (120°F) is the recommended safe temperature.
5. Check the Water Heater Anode Rod
The anode rod is a sacrificial metal rod that prevents your tank from corroding from the inside. Most homeowners have never heard of it. It typically needs replacing every 3-5 years. If your water has a faint rotten egg smell or your tank is older than 5 years and hasn't had the rod checked, this is worth a look. It's an inexpensive fix that can add years to your water heater's life.
6. Look for Running Toilets
Flapper valves in toilets take a beating over winter with heavier use and fluctuating water temperatures. A running toilet can waste 200 litres of water per day and add significantly to your water bill. Put a few drops of food colouring into the tank (not the bowl). Wait 15 minutes without flushing. If colour appears in the bowl, your flapper is leaking and needs replacing — a quick $10 fix if you're handy, or a cheap service call.
7. Inspect Under All Sinks for Slow Drips
Pull open every cabinet under every sink in your home and look at the P-trap and supply lines. Run the tap for 30 seconds while you watch. What looks like a dry cabinet in winter can have a slow seasonal drip that only shows up when water temperature changes expand and contract fittings. A damp cabinet floor is your cue to call before mould shows up.
8. Test Water Pressure
Normal residential water pressure runs between 45-80 psi. If your showers feel weaker than usual or you've noticed slow fills on your toilet tank, a sudden pressure drop can point to a developing leak somewhere in the system — or a partially closed main shutoff valve. Pressure gauges attach to any outdoor hose bib and cost about $15 at a hardware store. Worth having one on hand.
9. Clean Bathroom and Kitchen Drains
Spring is a good time to clear the hair and soap scum that builds up in bath and shower drains over winter. Skip the harsh chemical drain cleaners — they eat away at pipe joints over time. Use a drain snake or a simple drain cleaning tool (the plastic ones with the barbs work surprisingly well). For kitchen drains, run hot water for a minute and add a cup of baking soda followed by white vinegar to freshen the drain and clear light grease buildup.
10. Check Washing Machine Hoses for Cracks or Bulging
Pull your washing machine away from the wall and inspect the rubber supply hoses. Look for cracks, bulges, discolouration, or any sign the hose is stiffening. Most washing machine hoses are only rated for 5 years. A burst washing machine hose is one of the most common causes of major home water damage — the machine can dump hundreds of litres before anyone notices. Replace rubber hoses with braided stainless steel hoses if you haven't already.
Spotted something on this list? Don't sit on it. A small fix today is almost always cheaper than a repair next month. Call FDR Plumbing at 647-226-2649 for honest advice and free estimates on anything you find.
FDR Plumbing
Licensed Plumbing & Drain Services, Milton ON