Opening a Seasonal Home in Tampa Bay: Plumbing Checklist

Fall is when seasonal residents start coming back to Tampa Bay. After months of sitting empty through a hot, humid summer, a home's plumbing needs a little attention before it's back in full use. Here's a checklist for the first day back, and for closing up again in the spring.

Before You Turn the Water On

• Walk the house. Look for water stains on ceilings and walls, warped floors, musty smells, or water under sinks and around the water heater and toilets.
• Check the water heater area for rust, puddles or a wet drain pan.
• Make sure all faucets are closed, including outdoor ones.

Turning the Water Back On

1. Open the main shut-off slowly, partway at first.
2. Listen for hissing or running water. If you hear any with all faucets closed, close the main and find the leak.
3. Check your water meter. If it's moving with everything off, there's a leak somewhere. See the meter test.
4. Open each faucet, cold first, and let it run until the air sputters out and the water runs clear.
5. Flush each toilet and watch it refill and stop.

Refill the Drain Traps

Every drain has a trap that holds a little water to block sewer gas. In a hot, empty house, that water evaporates over the summer. Run water in every sink, tub and shower for a few seconds, and pour water into floor drains. If you notice a sewer smell, a dry trap is the usual cause. See sewer smell causes.

The Water Heater

• If you turned it off or to vacation mode, turn it back on only after the tank is full. Open a hot faucet and wait for a steady flow first. An electric heater turned on with an empty tank burns out its elements.
• Water that sat in the tank all summer can smell or look off. Draining a few gallons, or a full flush, clears it. See how to flush a water heater.
• If it's over 10 years old, this is a good time to plan a replacement before it fails while you're away.

Toilets, Faucets and Appliances

• Rubber parts like toilet flappers can dry out and warp over the summer. If a toilet keeps running, see toilet keeps running.
• Check washing machine, dishwasher and ice maker connections for drips once they run.
• Run the garbage disposal with cold water. If it hums, see disposal fixes.

Closing Up Again in the Spring

• Turn off the main water shut-off. A leak in an empty house can run for weeks.
• Set the water heater to vacation mode, or turn it off.
• Consider a water leak alarm or a smart shut-off valve that alerts your phone.
• Ask a neighbor or property manager to check on the house, especially after storms.

Something Not Right?

Believe Plumbing helps seasonal homeowners across Tampa Bay with leaks, water heaters, toilets and drains when they come back. See our residential plumbing services or contact us.