As October arrives, thousands of seasonal residents are returning to Southwest Florida, reopening homes that have sat closed through the hot, humid summer. The Ellis Team at KW Florida Living notes that this annual migration brings residents back to Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel, and nearby communities. But for plumbing systems that have gone months without use, the return can expose hidden problems that developed while no one was home.
Bullseye Home Services, a plumbing, drain, and sewer company headquartered in Osprey, Florida, reports a surge in calls from Osprey, Nokomis, Laurel, and Venice during the first weeks after homeowners return. According to the company, the most common issues include water sitting stagnant in heater tanks, toilets that haven't been flushed, supply lines and shut-off valves that haven't moved since spring, and drain traps that have dried out, allowing sewer odors into the house.
The stakes are high: a leak that starts while a house is empty can spread for weeks before anyone notices. The Insurance Information Institute reports that about one in 60 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing, putting a slow drip under a vanity or a weeping water heater fitting in the same category as storm damage once it reaches floors 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," said Joshua Chastain, General Manager of Bullseye Home Services. "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."
To help homeowners avoid costly damage, Bullseye Home Services recommends several steps before turning the main water back on. First, inspect under every sink and around the water heater for staining, corrosion, or dampness left from the summer. Then, turn the water on slowly and run each faucet and flush each toilet to clear air and sediment and to refill drain traps that may have dried out. Next, 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. During the first few heating cycles, watch the base of the water heater and its connections, and note any rumbling, rusty water, or a rotten-egg smell. Finally, check the braided supply lines to toilets, sinks, and the washing machine for bulging or rust at the fittings, since they are a common source of sudden indoor floods.
For more information about plumbing service in Osprey and the surrounding Sarasota County communities, visit callbullseye.com/service-area/osprey or call (941) 200-6424. Additional details about the company are available at www.callbullseye.com.
