Fall is just around the corner, and that means preparing your home for cooler weather. One of the best ways to prepare your home for the upcoming season is to look at your plumbing systems.

Having a plumbing inspection performed by professional plumbing companies can be a good way to gear up for the colder months. This is especially true if you live in areas like the Midwest, which see significantly colder temperatures.

You might not think that you need to have your plumbing checked, but somewhere around 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons of water or more a day. With the risk of freezing pipes, these leaks are serious stuff for professional plumbers. Here are a few things you should do to get started on fall preparations:

Check Your Home Sewer System
You might not believe it, but the fall, winter, and spring months can actually overwork your sewer systems. If you’ve had issues in that past that might occur again in the future, or have had the same issue multiple times, then you might need to contact one of your local plumbing companies to take a look. There’s nothing worse than having to call an emergency plumber in the middle of the night because your sewer system ruptured.

Perform Water Heater Maintenance
Annual maintenance on your water heater is crucial to extending the life of the heater itself. While most water heaters will last anywhere between eight and 12 years, flushing them yearly tends to increase their efficiency. That means you can save money on your future utility bills. If you’re looking for an easy way to save, look no further than routine water heater maintenance.

Turn off Your Hose Bib
This is important. If your hose bib isn’t turned off properly, water can freeze in the supply line and burst the pipes. And that’s one of the worst situations to be in. You want to make sure that you turn off your hose bib and the inside of your water supply line. You’ll likely need a professional to do this, so contact one of your local plumbing companies. Having a frost-proof hose bib installed before the first frost is also a good idea.

Take the time to do the little pre-winter preparations on your home listed above. Doing so will save you money and frustrations down the line, and keep your home in great condition.