How to Maintain your Outdoor Plumbing Properly | DIY Home Comfort

Outdoor plumbing is essential for several reasons.

First, the system must be adequately maintained, whether a hose or a sprinkler to water your plants, a pond, or a fountain.

Here are some tips to help properly maintain your outdoor plumbing.

As with indoor plumbing, clearing gutters, downspouts, and yard drain ensure water can flow throughout the outdoor system.

This means removing any leaves, dirt, or debris. If you have a mobility issue, you may consider getting a contractor to do this for you.

You can often find insect and bird nests inside your vent pipes. These will need to be cleared out as well as the gutters. 

If you're already up on the roof cleaning out your gutters, checking your vent pipes, and clearing out dirt and debris at the same time is a good idea.

Cold weather can harm your plumbing. If you are concerned about this, one test you can do is to switch on your outdoor faucet.

Then, when the water pours out in the flow you expect, there are no issues, and you don't need to call anyone out.

If the water trickles, flows very slowly, or starts leaking, you may have a cracked pipe, and you should get a contractor in to look at it.

Again, it is best to do this in winter when you are less likely to need an outdoor water source.

You should get your septic tank inspected at least once every three to five years.

A professional should handle this job so they can spot any issues and make any recommendations.

This is important because any repairs they recommend you do will likely be less expensive than replacing your leach field if you have one.

Your local area may get more rain or snowfall than expected, depending on where you live.

After a period of heavy rain or after the snow has melted, you may wish to consider getting a sewer line inspection.

This is important because tree roots can shift underground during this time, potentially creating a negative effect on your plumbing system.

Possible symptoms of sewer line issues can include a strange odor coming from your lawn, bright green patches around your lawn, wet areas around the property, and waste getting built up in your toilet and drainage system.

If you see these signs, this is the best time to call in a plumber.

In some cases, you may do all these checks and find that you still have problems with your outdoor plumbing.

If you are unsure that you can fix a problem, the best way to address outdoor plumbing issues is to use a professional plumbing contractor.

They can check to see what plumbing issues you have and address them correctly.

Scott Harding

Scott is the main author of DIY Home Comfort. He's also an experienced HVAC technician that enjoys home renovation and spending time with his family. You can find out more about him here.