Your spring plumbing checklist for Northern Virginia

Winter's freeze-thaw cycles can crack pipes behind your siding, and our hard water has been building sediment in your water heater all season. Spring is the time to catch it, before the heavy rains arrive.

Here's what a spring visit from our technicians covers: outdoor faucets and irrigation, the sump pump, the water heater, water pressure, drains, washing machine hoses, and the drainage around your foundation. Below is what we look for in each, and why.

Outdoor faucets and irrigation

Winter does its most hidden damage outside. A hose bib that froze over winter can be split behind the siding with no obvious sign at the spout. It often leaks only when the faucet is turned on and the pipe is under pressure, so it's one of the first things we check in spring, especially in older homes with builder-grade hose bibs.

A small outdoor leak deserves attention. That slow drip keeps the soil beside your foundation wet, which can show up later as basement moisture.

If you have an irrigation system, mention any of these when you book:

• Soft spots in the yard that point to an underground leak
• Sprinkler heads that won't pop up
• Lines damaged over the winter

Basement, crawl space and sump pump

Inside, we check exposed pipes in the basement or crawl space for new cracks or splits at the joints, water stains on walls and floors, and pipes that look discolored or corroded.

Pipes along exterior walls get the closest look. Even in a heated basement, pipes on an outside wall can freeze during a hard cold snap, which happens most winters here.

The sump pump gets tested before storm season. We confirm it switches on, runs and sounds the way it should, so you're not finding out it failed during the first heavy rain. If yours is due, our diagnostics and specialty team can replace it. For more on why pumps quit this time of year, see our post on sump pump failures in a NoVA spring.

Foundation drainage

Downspouts should send water at least 6 feet away from the foundation. Northern Virginia's clay soil expands when wet, which puts pressure on basement walls and can crack foundation drains. Freeze-thaw cycles also shift soil and open new leak paths that won't show up until the next big storm.

Water heater

Northern Virginia water runs moderately hard to hard. The minerals in it settle in the tank as sediment, which insulates the bottom of the tank, makes the burner or element work harder, and shortens the heater's life.

On a spring visit, we look and listen for the signs that a heater needs attention:

• Hot water runs out sooner or takes longer to recover
• Popping or rumbling sounds from the tank
• Rusty or discolored hot water
• A date on the label that puts it near ten years old

A tank water heater typically lasts around a decade. If yours is getting close, it's time to plan for replacement on your schedule instead of the heater's. Our water heating and filtration technicians can flush the tank and tell you plainly how much life it has left.

Inside the house: pressure, drains and hoses

Water pressure. We run fixtures around the house and check pressure, especially in upstairs bathrooms. Older homes with galvanized steel pipes lose flow as the pipe corrodes from the inside, and mineral buildup at fixtures adds to it. Low flow can also cause fill problems for your washing machine and dishwasher.

Drains. Winter cooking and entertaining leave drains sluggish. Grease from holiday cooking hardens in the drain line and narrows it. We check the kitchen sink (both sides, including the disposal), bathroom sinks and tubs, the laundry drain and basement floor drains. A slow drain is a small fix now. Left alone, it can turn into one of the bigger drain and sewer problems.

Washing machine hoses. We look for bulges, cracks and rust stains at the connections. Rubber hoses are due for replacement around five years, and braided steel hoses last longer but still need a look. A burst washer hose can release hundreds of gallons an hour, and in a home with an upstairs laundry room, that water comes through the ceiling below.

We'd rather prevent a problem than repair a crisis, and our technicians can cover everything above in a single visit. Pioneer Plumbers is a family-owned, licensed and insured company, and we give a written, upfront quote before any work begins. Call (703) 508-3088 or reach out to book your spring checkup and get ahead of the season.