As October marks the annual return of seasonal residents to Southwest Florida, a local plumbing company is warning that homes left closed through the Gulf Coast summer may have developed hidden plumbing problems that only surface when the water is turned back on. The Ellis Team at KW Florida Living notes that every October, thousands of seasonal residents return to Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel and surrounding communities. Bullseye Home Services says it sees the same return further up the coast, in calls from Osprey, Nokomis, Laurel and Venice.
For a house that sat closed from spring to fall, the plumbing has had months without regular use. Water sitting in a heater tank, toilets that have not been flushed, supply lines and shut-off valves that have not moved since the owner left, and drain traps that can dry out and let sewer odor into the house are the problems Bullseye Home Services says it sees most often in the first weeks after a homeowner comes back.
A leak that starts while a house is empty has time to spread before anyone notices it. The Insurance Information Institute reports that about one in 60 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing, which puts a slow drip under a vanity or a weeping water heater fitting into the same category as storm damage once it reaches the floor and walls.
Bullseye Home Services holds Florida plumbing license CFC1431212 and serves Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties from Osprey, with a second location in Fort Myers. Its plumbing repair work covers leak location, fixture and supply-line repair, water heaters, drain cleaning and sewer lines. The company reports over 1,500 five-star reviews from Gulf Coast customers.
"A house that has been shut for six months does not tell you about a problem until you start using it again. The first shower, the first load of laundry, the first time the water heater runs hard, that is when a worn valve or a tired supply line gives way. Walking through the plumbing in the first few days back costs far less than finding the leak after it has been running behind a wall," said Joshua Chastain, General Manager, Bullseye Home Services.
Before turning the main water back on, look under every sink and around the water heater for staining, corrosion or dampness left from the summer. Turn the water on slowly, then run each faucet and flush each toilet to clear air and sediment and to refill drain traps that may have dried out. Read the water meter with every fixture off, then again an hour later; a change points to a leak somewhere in the house or yard. Watch the base of the water heater and its connections during the first few heating cycles, and note any rumbling, rusty water or a rotten-egg smell. Check the braided supply lines to toilets, sinks and the washing machine for bulging or rust at the fittings, since they are the common source of sudden indoor floods.
More information about plumbing service in Osprey and the surrounding Sarasota County communities is available at callbullseye.com/service-area/osprey.
