Getting your Yard Ready for winter

It’s that time of the year again. The lawn mower will soon be put away for the winter and your best gardening tools will soon be stowed away until next spring. Roto Rooter has several handy tips for making sure that what your neighbors can’t see is in good shape as well so that your yard’s drainage, your home’s downspouts and outside faucets are ready for winter.

• Ensure yard drains, gutters and downspouts are free of leaves and debris. This will be challenging until all of the leaves have fallen from the trees so this will require regular attention until then.
• Remove leaves and debris from basement window wells.
• Check for birds' nests that may have been built in plumbing vent pipes, like the ones from the dryer to the outside.
• Check all outside faucets (hose bibs) to make sure water flows freely. If an outdoor faucet is barely dripping or if there is leakage, repair the leak before winter when the drip could cause the faucet to freeze and its water supply pipe to crack.
• Cover outside faucets with a Styrofoam insulation kit from the hardware store.
• A twice-a-year application of Roto-Rooter® Root Destroyer can retard the growth of roots in your drain line – even during cold months when trees are seemingly dormant. Simply pour the recommended dosage into your toilet bowl and flush the product into the sewer.
• Septic tanks should be inspected and pumped every three to five years to help prevent costly replacement of the filter field.