Spring Cleaning! Unclog Those Gutters

Here at Plumbing Paramedics, we’re pretty happy that the weather is finally becoming consistently warm and sunny. Like most Calgarians, we feel Calgary has had more than its fair share of rain and snow during April, and it’s nice that the May long is just around the corner. However, with spring comes spring cleaning, so here are some chores you should remember to add to your list to prevent flooding and other problems around the house.

Check for Leaks.

Due to the cold winter, most Calgarians will shut off their outdoor water lines for their hoses and irrigation systems. This makes sense as otherwise water could freeze and burst the pipes. However, now that the weather is consistently above zero it’s getting to be time to think about turning the water back on. Something we always recommend for our clients is to do a leak check before and after switching on the outdoor plumbing.

Simply pick a time when you know everyone will be out of the house for a while. Take a picture of your metre (or record the reading) before you go. When you return in three or four hours, check whether the metre has the same reading. If the reading has changed, you likely have a leak. Once you’ve confirmed that you don’t have any leaks, turn on the outdoor plumbing and run the test again. This way you’ll know whether your irrigation system or outdoor faucets have a leak.

Unclog the Gutters.

From autumn to spring lots of leaves and branches fall from the trees and get stuck up on your roof. Most of this detritus ends up in your gutter, where it dams up the flow of rainwater and causes flooding on your roof and possibly over the edge of the eavestrough. This makes clogged gutters a problem twice over. Water sitting on your roof is more likely to find a way into your home, and when water overflows the eavestrough and falls too close to your foundation, it can seep into your basement as well. The best way to prevent both these problems is to make sure your gutters are properly cleared of any debris. Hire a team of experts to take care of the problem, or if you’re comfortable on a ladder, you can do this chore yourself. We recommend wearing thick gloves since the leaves will likely be very wet and stinky.

With the beginning of warmer weather comes a lot of work. Yards need to be prepared for summer, eavestroughs need to be cleared, and the entire house can use a scrub. Spring cleaning is not the favourite pastime of most Calgarians, but it does need to get done. So from our team at Plumbing Paramedics, we wish you good luck with your chore list, and give us a call if you need any help with your furnace or hot water tank.