Is Your Outdoor Plumbing
Ready for Summer?
What Sonoma County Homeowners
Should Check Before June
Catch problems now — before hot weather, high water bills, and dry-season demand make them worse.
May is the sweet spot — the rainy season is winding down, summer water demand is weeks away, and any problem in your outdoor plumbing is still easy and cheap to fix. Wait until July and you're dealing with the same issues under full irrigation load, dead dry soil, and a water bill that's already climbing. Here's what to check now.
Why Outdoor Plumbing Fails After Winter
Sonoma County winters are mild compared to most of the country — but they're still hard on outdoor plumbing. Seasonal temperature swings cause expansion and contraction in pipes and fittings. Irrigation systems that weren't fully drained hold standing water that degrades valves and diaphragms. And the first real warmth of spring gets tree roots actively growing again, often straight toward your water lines.
The result: every May, West Coast Plumbing gets calls from homeowners who turned on their irrigation for the first time and found a problem that's been building since November.
Your 6-Point May Outdoor Plumbing Checklist
Inspect Every Hose Bib and Outdoor Spigot DIY
Turn each one on and off fully. Look for drips from the spout when closed, weeping around the packing nut behind the handle, or water staining on the exterior wall. A dripping hose bib wastes roughly 3,000–5,000 gallons per year and usually means the washer or packing inside the valve has worn out. Replacement takes about 30 minutes and costs very little — or we can handle it on a routine service visit.
Start Your Irrigation System Zone by Zone DIY
Don't turn your whole system on at once. Run each zone separately for 3–5 minutes and walk it as it runs. You're looking for: broken or missing spray heads, heads that aren't rotating when they should, soggy patches between heads that suggest an underground line failure, and water pooling at a valve box. Any zone that runs but doesn't deliver water evenly has a problem worth diagnosing before you commit to a full season of irrigation.
Check Backflow Preventers Call a Pro
If your irrigation system is connected to your home's potable water supply — which most are — it's required by code to have a backflow preventer that stops irrigation water from contaminating your drinking water. These devices take a beating over winter. Look for visible cracks, rust, or water staining around the housing. Many cities and water districts in Sonoma County require annual backflow testing by a certified tester. If you haven't had yours tested this year, now is the time.
Look for Wet Spots, Sinkholes, and Unusually Green Grass Call a Pro
Walk your property and look for areas that are noticeably wetter, softer, or greener than the surrounding yard — especially near where you know plumbing runs. A localized patch of lush grass in an otherwise dry yard is often sitting above a leaking underground line. Soft or sunken soil near the house foundation can signal a line failure that's been washing out soil for months. Neither of these fixes itself.
Inspect Outdoor Shower and Pool/Spa Connections DIY
If you have an outdoor shower, run it and check the connections at the wall for any dripping or weeping. For pools and spas, inspect the fill valve and any exposed plumbing lines for cracks or mineral buildup. Cracked fittings from winter temperature swings are common and inexpensive to fix — but they don't get better on their own.
Do a 15-Minute Meter Check DIY
Turn off all indoor and outdoor fixtures completely. Check your water meter and wait 15 minutes. If the meter is still moving, you have an active leak somewhere in the system — indoors or out. This is the fastest way to confirm whether a problem exists before spending time hunting for it visually. If the meter moves, call us.
What Tree Roots Do to Outdoor Lines in Spring
Root intrusion is the most common and most underestimated outdoor plumbing problem in Sonoma County. In spring, tree roots are actively seeking moisture, and your water and sewer lines are exactly what they're looking for.
Roots enter pipes through small cracks, imperfectly sealed joints, and aging connections. Once inside, they grow until they create a blockage, break the pipe, or both. By the time you have visible symptoms — slow drains, wet patches, sewage odors in the yard — the damage is already significant.
⚠️ Watch for These Root Intrusion Signs
Multiple slow drains throughout the house at once · Gurgling sounds from toilets or drains · Sewage odors in the yard or near cleanouts · Lush, fast-growing grass along a sewer line path · Any drain that backs up without a clear blockage cause
A camera inspection of your sewer lateral is the only reliable way to know what's happening underground. West Coast Plumbing can run a line camera and give you a clear picture — no guesswork, no unnecessary digging.
DIY vs. Call a Plumber — Quick Reference
- Replacing a worn washer in a hose bib
- Adjusting or replacing a broken sprinkler head
- Cleaning a clogged aerator on an outdoor spigot
- Checking and adjusting your irrigation timer/controller
- Running the 15-minute meter check
- Any underground line leak or wet patch you can't locate
- Backflow preventer inspection or certification
- Pipe replacement or repair under the yard
- Sewer line camera inspection for root intrusion
- Meter is moving with everything shut off
💧 Pro Tip for May
Set your irrigation controller to run a single short cycle — 3 minutes per zone — early on a dry morning. Then walk every zone as it runs. You'll catch broken heads, wet patches, and flow problems in 20 minutes. It's the fastest way to survey your full outdoor system before summer demand kicks in.
When to Call West Coast Plumbing
- Your water meter is moving with all fixtures off
- You see wet patches or unusually green grass in your yard
- An outdoor spigot is dripping from the packing nut or valve body
- Your backflow preventer hasn't been tested this year
- An irrigation zone runs but doesn't deliver water properly
- You smell sewage outdoors or near a cleanout
- Multiple drains inside are slow at the same time
Frequently Asked Questions
Common outdoor plumbing questions from Sonoma County homeowners this time of year.
Don't Wait Until July to Find Out You Have a Problem.
A quick inspection now costs a fraction of what a summer leak will. West Coast Plumbing serves Sonoma, Marin, and Napa County — licensed, local, and honest about what you actually need.
707-387-1312OUR SERVICES
✅ Need to schedule a professional?
Let the local experts handle it. West Coast Plumbing has been serving Sonoma & Marin County homes and businesses with fast, friendly, and reliable service for years. Schedule your Fall Plumbing Checkup today and enjoy a worry-free winter.