7-Point Fall Plumbing Checklist for Knoxville Homeowners

Summer puts your plumbing to work: sprinklers, pools, hoses, extra laundry. Before temperatures drop, take 15 minutes to run through this checklist. Catching small issues now is a lot cheaper than fixing big ones later.

1. Check your outdoor faucets
Walk the perimeter of your house and check each hose bib for drips, leaks around the handle, or pooling water near the foundation. Even a small drip adds up to hundreds of wasted gallons over time.

2. Look under your sinks
Open the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks and check for moisture, stains, swollen wood, or mold. Slow leaks here often go unnoticed until real damage is done.

3. Test your water pressure
If your shower suddenly feels stronger than usual, your pressure may be running high, which is hard on pipes, water heaters, and appliances over time. Most homes should sit between 50–80 PSI.

4. Check your water heater
Look for moisture or rust around the base and fittings. Either one is worth having inspected before it becomes a bigger issue.

5. Clean your drains
Clear hair from shower drains and clean sink stoppers. Skip the harsh chemical drain cleaners, they do more long-term damage to your pipes than good. A simple drain screen prevents a lot of clogs before they start.

6. Find your main water shutoff valve
If you don’t already know where it is, find it now. In a burst-pipe emergency, being able to shut the water off fast can save thousands in water damage.

7. Don’t wait on small problems
A drip, a slow drain, a running toilet…none of these fix themselves, and they rarely stay “minor.”

Fifteen minutes now can save a lot of hassle later. If any of these turn up something you’re not sure about, Sunrise Plumbing is here to help, proudly serving Halls Crossroads and the greater Knoxville area.

This article originally appeared in Neighbors of Halls Crossroads magazine.