Outdoor plumbing sits unused for most of the year and then gets asked to work properly the first warm weekend of the year. A quick check before you rely on it avoids the most common summer plumbing call-outs.
Garden Taps After Winter
An outdoor tap that wasn’t isolated over winter can develop a slow leak or crack from a hard frost, and this often isn’t obvious until it’s turned on properly for the first time in spring. Check for drips at the joint and around the tap body before you start relying on it daily.
Outdoor Showers and Hosepipe Connections
If you’ve got an outdoor shower or a hose connected to an external tap, check the connection fittings for wear, since rubber seals degrade over a winter left outside. A fitting that seemed fine last September can fail under pressure the first time it’s used again.
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Watch for Hidden Leaks
An outdoor leak doesn’t always show as an obvious puddle. A higher than usual water bill, or a patch of garden that’s noticeably greener or wetter than the area around it, can both point to a leak underground before it becomes visible at the surface.
Simple Steps That Prevent Bigger Problems
Isolating outdoor taps properly before next winter, rather than leaving them connected to the mains all year, is the single most effective way to avoid a repeat of any issue you find now. It takes a few minutes and prevents a much bigger repair the following spring.
If you’ve found a leak or want your outdoor plumbing checked before the summer properly starts, get in touch.
