Birds are chirping, pollen is covering most outdoor surfaces, a gentle breeze is blowing, and the sun is shining here in Brevard County, FL. Although people in some states are still shoveling snow, Spring has definitely sprung in Florida! Spring itself is often associated with fresh starts. Whether it’s the fresh new bud of a flower poking out of the soil or the obligatory spring cleaning where all the dust and debris from the past few months is washed away, a new beginning awaits. How can plumbing have any connection to spring? That’s easy. What better time is there to make sure your plumbing is cleaned up and out so it’s springtime ready?
One way to achieve your spring clean quest is to clean your showerhead. If you have hard water, your showerhead can become clogged by mineral deposit buildup and create unpleasant issues. The best way to clean a non-removable showerhead is to fill a resealable plastic bag with equal parts vinegar and hot water and secure it with a rubber band, tie, or tape to the showerhead. Then let it soak somewhere between one and eight hours depending upon the level of deposits. Try to submerge the showerhead only enough to cover the crusty area. If the showerhead unscrews, soak it in a mixture of vinegar and hot water. Check periodically to make sure the solution is not reacting with the metal and not pitting it. After soaking, scrub the showerhead with a small brush, rinse, and replace. If there are still spray hole clogs, use a small pin to poke through them and flush the showerhead again. After performing this easy spring cleaning trick, you may notice increased water flow and pressure.
A second easy spring maintenance task you can adopt is to maintain your toilet’s efficiency. You can do this by assessing your toilet bowl and tank for leaks or cracks. A leak in the tank that gathers at the back of the base is not automatically noticed or visible. So, take time to periodically do a visual inspection all the way around your toilet tank and base. You can also drop a few drops of food coloring into your tank to check for hidden tank leaks. If after thirty to sixty minutes, color appears in your bowl, you know your tank is leaking which is not efficient. Spring cleaning time is also a good time to address any flushing issues. Is your toilet flushing properly? Are you having to jiggle the flush handle to stop the water from running? There are numerous issues which may cause flushing concerns. Depending on the issue, you may need to adjust the flush handle tension, replace the flush lever lift arm or adjust the slack in the lift chain. Maintenance can improve your toilet’s cost-effectiveness and workability, making it worth adding to your spring maintenance checklist.
We hope these plumbing maintenance tips for spring were motivational and helpful. Of course, our expert team of plumbing professionals at Sun Plumbing is readily available to handle any of your plumbing concerns in the Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Viera areas of Brevard County. Call us if you need this spring with a bathroom remodel, plumbing installation, or hot water heater repair.
