Tips for Keeping Your Outdoor Pipes Safe and Functioning

Outdoor plumbing issues can turn your life upside down and cause a tremendous amount of damage before you really know what hit you. That is why everyone should spend a little bit of time learning about how their plumbing systems work and what they can do to keep their outdoor pipes and fixtures damage-free throughout the year. Let’s dive into ways of keeping your outdoor pipes safe and functioning.

Start With your Rain Gutters and Downspouts

One of the most important components of your outdoor plumbing is your rain gutters. These channels along the edge of your roof are designed to guide water away from your home and prevent damage to your walls and foundation when it rains. In addition to regularly cleaning out your rain gutters, you should also check your downspouts, the pipe that leads what collects in your gutter to the ground, at least a few times a year to ensure that there is no water pooling within a few feet of your home or near any permanent structures.

Protecting Outdoor Spigots

Even in a relatively moderate climate, outdoor spigots and pipes can still become damaged when the temperatures suddenly drop to near-freezing levels or begin to rollercoaster the temperature from day to day. To protect these plumbing fixtures, homeowners can install insulation tape that will prevent the pipes from cracking or warping. You also have the option of having plumbers install heated cables around any outdoor fixtures that are at risk of freezing during the coldest months of the year.

Tend to the Tree Roots

Tree roots can grow at an incredible rate, and they will quickly damage almost everything that they come into contact with. Those who have trees on their property should make sure that the roots are never within a few yards of any outdoor pipes or spigots. If you suspect a root has grown through a pipe, you should contact local plumbers, like these San Diego plumbers, and they should be able to fix the issue. You should also consider having a landscaper or arborist inspect your trees and their root systems at least once every few years to ensure that they aren’t growing too large.

Taking Care of Outdoor Kitchens

Outdoor cooking spaces have become very popular in recent years, but those installations require a little bit of preventative maintenance. In addition to regularly cleaning all of the faucets and basins, you should also make sure that they aren’t in direct sunlight for multiple hours a day. When exposed to prolonged sunlight and airborne debris, an outdoor kitchen could quickly become clogged, pitted, or corroded.

If you ever notice any signs of clogged or cracked pipes, then you should immediately contact an experienced plumber. Most outdoor plumbing issues can easily be taken care of as long as they are caught early on, and a quick service call could end up saving you huge sums of money down the line.

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