Quick takeaways
- Test your sump pump before the first big melt — pour a bucket of water in and confirm it cycles.
- Walk every outdoor faucet and check for slow drips when you turn them on.
- Inspect the water heater base for rust or moisture.
- Check all under-sink shut-offs and supply lines for corrosion.
The 10-item spring checklist
Work through this in order — it's the same sequence our technicians follow on a spring maintenance visit. Most homes pass everything; the ones that don't, you want to know in April, not when you're hosting people in July.
- Sump pump: pour a 5-gallon bucket of water into the pit and confirm the pump cycles cleanly
- Sump backup battery: confirm the indicator is green; test if you have a test button
- Outdoor faucets: turn each on and check for leaks at the sillcock and inside at the shut-off
- Garden hose bibs: replace any washer that's drying or cracked
- Water heater: look for any rust at the base or moisture around the T&P valve
- Under-sink supply lines: any green corrosion on copper, any bulges on braided stainless lines — replace
- Toilet flappers: lift the tank lid, flush, and confirm the flapper seals fully (no running)
- Washing machine hoses: replace if they're original or over 7 years old
- Main shut-off: confirm it still turns smoothly both ways
- Yard drains and downspout extensions: clear and re-aim away from the foundation
The sump pump is the priority
Of every item on this list, sump pump testing is the one we beg homeowners not to skip. Kanata's clay soil and high water table mean that during a heavy spring melt or summer storm, your sump may cycle hundreds of times in a day. A pump that didn't run all winter sometimes seizes — and you find out when the basement floods.
If your pump is over 7 years old, hasn't been replaced since you moved in, or makes any grinding or rattling noise, schedule a replacement now. The pump itself is $200-400; the basement flood it prevents is $20,000+.
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