Spring is the best time of year to give your home's plumbing a thorough once-over. Lubbock winters — even mild ones — put stress on pipes, water heaters, and outdoor fixtures. And with the dry, hot summer just around the corner, catching a small problem now is far less painful than dealing with a major failure in July when temperatures are pushing 100°F. This checklist covers everything a Lubbock homeowner should inspect or have professionally checked each spring.
1. Inspect All Outdoor Faucets and Hose Bibs
Outdoor faucets (hose bibs) are the most vulnerable part of your plumbing system during a freeze. Even if you covered them with insulated caps last fall, the internal valve or the pipe behind the wall can crack during a hard freeze without showing any obvious external damage.
Turn each outdoor faucet on fully and check for a strong, steady flow. Then turn it off and watch for dripping — a faucet that continues to drip after being shut off often has a damaged washer or a cracked valve seat. Also check the area around the faucet on the exterior wall for water stains, bubbling paint, or soft drywall on the interior side, which can indicate a slow leak inside the wall.
When to call us: Any outdoor faucet that drips, has reduced flow, or shows signs of a wall leak should be inspected by a licensed plumber before you start using it regularly for summer watering.
2. Check Your Water Heater
Spring is the ideal time for annual water heater maintenance, especially in Lubbock where our hard water accelerates sediment buildup. Inspect the area around your water heater for any signs of rust, corrosion, or moisture on the floor. Look at the connections at the top of the unit — mineral deposits or discoloration around fittings can indicate a slow leak.
Listen to your water heater when it's heating. Popping, rumbling, or cracking sounds are a sign of sediment buildup at the bottom of the tank — a common issue in West Texas that reduces efficiency and shortens the unit's lifespan. If your water heater is over 8 years old and hasn't been flushed recently, a professional flush and inspection is a smart investment.
Pro tip: Also test your temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve by briefly lifting the lever. You should see a burst of water into the overflow tube. If nothing happens, the valve has failed and needs immediate replacement — it's a critical safety device.
3. Look for Slow Drains Throughout the House
Run water in every sink, shower, and tub in your home and watch how quickly it drains. A slow drain in one fixture usually means a localized clog — hair, soap scum, or grease buildup in that specific drain. Multiple slow drains throughout the house, or a drain that gurgles when another fixture is used, can indicate a partial blockage in your main sewer line.
In Lubbock's older neighborhoods — Tech Terrace, Maxey Park, South Overton, and similar areas built before 1980 — tree root intrusion into clay or cast iron sewer lines is a common spring discovery. Roots grow aggressively toward moisture during the dry winter months and can cause a complete blockage by the time you notice symptoms.
When to call us: If more than one drain is slow, or if you hear gurgling from drains when you flush the toilet, call Cotton City Plumbing for a camera inspection. Catching root intrusion early is far less expensive than dealing with a full sewage backup.
4. Inspect Under-Sink Cabinets and Supply Lines
Open every cabinet under your sinks — kitchen, bathrooms, and utility areas — and look for signs of moisture: water stains on the cabinet floor, swollen or warped wood, discoloration on the wall, or a musty smell. These are signs of a slow leak that may have been dripping for weeks or months without being noticed.
Also inspect the braided supply lines that connect your shutoff valves to your faucets and toilets. These flexible lines are typically rated for 5–10 years, but Lubbock's hard water and the mineral deposits it leaves behind can cause them to fail sooner. If you see any bulging, cracking, or corrosion at the fittings, replace the supply line before it fails — a burst supply line can dump several gallons per minute into your cabinet.
Easy DIY check: Run your hand along the supply lines and feel for moisture. Even a very slow drip will leave the line damp to the touch.
5. Test Every Toilet for Leaks and Running
A running toilet is one of the most common — and most wasteful — plumbing problems in any home. A toilet that runs continuously can waste 200 gallons of water per day, adding significantly to your water bill without any obvious sign of a problem other than the sound of water trickling.
To test for a silent leak, add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing. If color appears in the bowl, the flapper is leaking and needs replacement — a simple, inexpensive fix. Also check the base of each toilet for any moisture or soft flooring, which can indicate a failed wax ring seal.
Also check: That each toilet flushes fully and completely on the first flush. A weak or incomplete flush often indicates a partial clog in the trap or drain line.
6. Check Your Main Water Shutoff Valve
This one is easy to overlook but critically important. Your main water shutoff valve is your first line of defense in any plumbing emergency — a burst pipe, a major leak, or a failed appliance. If you don't know where it is, find it now. In most Lubbock homes, it's located near the water meter at the street, in a utility closet, or in the garage.
Turn the valve fully off and then back on to make sure it operates freely. Shutoff valves that haven't been exercised in years can seize up or fail to fully close when you need them most. If your valve is stiff, corroded, or doesn't fully stop water flow when closed, have it replaced before an emergency forces the issue.