These tasks take about an hour and can prevent expensive repairs during the warmer months ahead.
If you used our fall plumbing checklist to winterize your home, this is the counterpart. Sonoma County's rainy season puts stress on your plumbing in ways you don't always see. Spring is the time to catch what winter left behind before it becomes a summer emergency.
Your Spring Plumbing Checklist:
Turn on each outdoor faucet and let it run for 30 seconds. Watch for leaks at the handle, spout, and where the pipe meets the wall. Check the backflow preventer if you have one. If any faucet drips, stutters, or has noticeably low pressure, the pipe or valve may have been damaged during cold snaps over the winter.
North Bay specific: Even though Sonoma and Marin counties don't get extreme freezes, overnight temperatures in inland areas (Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Healdsburg) can dip low enough to stress uninsulated outdoor pipes — especially in January and February.
Sonoma County’s rainy season can shift soil, saturate the ground around your foundation, and stress underground pipes. Walk your property and look for:
If you notice any of these, a plumber can run a camera inspection to check underground pipes without digging.
If your home has a sump pump (common in homes with basements or below-grade spaces in the North Bay), test it now — before you need it. Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit. The pump should kick on, remove the water, and shut off automatically. If it doesn’t activate, runs continuously, or makes unusual noises, service it before the next heavy rain.
Sediment accumulates at the bottom of your water heater tank over the year. This layer of minerals reduces efficiency, increases energy costs, and shortens the unit's lifespan. An annual flush removes the buildup.
How to flush it: Turn off the heater (gas: turn to "pilot" / electric: flip the breaker). Connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Run the hose to a floor drain or outside. Open the valve and let it drain until the water runs clear. Close the valve, disconnect the hose, and turn the heater back on.
If the water coming out is heavily discolored or has visible sediment chunks, your tank may need professional attention. If your water heater is more than 8 years old and has never been flushed, call us — forcing sediment through an old drain valve can sometimes create new problems.
Check pipes under every sink, around your water heater, in the basement or crawl space, and in the garage. Look for:
Catching a small leak in spring is a $150 repair. Ignoring it until it causes water damage can cost thousands.
Test every drain in your home — kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, floor drains. If any drain takes more than a few seconds to clear, there's a partial blockage building up. Addressing it now is simple. Waiting until it's fully clogged turns a routine drain cleaning into an emergency call.
For kitchen drains, the culprit is usually grease buildup. For bathroom drains, it's hair and soap residue. Either way, professional drain cleaning clears the blockage and restores full flow.
Remove the tank lid on each toilet and flush. Watch the flapper valve — it should seal completely after the tank refills. A running toilet wastes 200+ gallons of water per day, which adds up fast on your water bill. Also check the fill valve and supply line connection for any signs of moisture or corrosion.
Remove the tank lid on each toilet and flush. Watch the flapper valve — it should seal completely after the tank refills. A running toilet wastes 200+ gallons of water per day, which adds up fast on your water bill. Also check the fill valve and supply line connection for any signs of moisture or corrosion.
Attach a pressure gauge ($10 at any hardware store) to an outdoor hose bib and turn it on. Normal residential water pressure is 40–80 PSI. Below 40 indicates a problem in your supply line or pressure regulator. Above 80 can stress pipes, fittings, and appliances — and may require a pressure reducing valve.
Let the local experts handle it. West Coast Plumbing has been serving Sonoma County homes and businesses with fast, friendly, and reliable service for years. Schedule your Fall Plumbing Checkup today and enjoy a worry-free winter.
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 home.
