Before the season: the six items
1. Main shutoff. Find it, turn it fully closed and open again. A valve that has not moved in years seizes exactly when you need it; a gate valve that will not close is replaced now, not during a storm. 2. Water heater. Check the temperature-and-pressure relief valve for weeping, and know how to shut off its power or gas — a heater that runs with the water off destroys itself. 3. Hose bibs and irrigation. Disconnect hoses, close the irrigation supply, and cap anything that could snap. 4. Sewer cleanout. Find the capped pipe near the foundation and make sure the cap is on tight; a loose cap is where a surcharged sewer comes up into the yard. 5. Backflow preventer or sump. If the home has an irrigation backflow assembly, note where it is; if it has a sump or ejector pump, test it and consider a battery backup. 6. Water. Ready.gov's guidance on flood water applies to what comes in as much as what goes out: store drinking water before the storm, because a boil-water notice after one is routine.
When a storm is coming
If you are evacuating, close the main shutoff and switch the water heater off at the breaker or gas valve; a burst line in an empty house runs until someone notices. Fill the bathtub for flushing and cleaning, not drinking. If you are staying, know that the sewer is the vulnerable system: a surcharged public main backs up through the lowest fixture, and the EPA lists storm-driven overflows as a standard cause. Stop using fixtures if a floor drain or tub gurgles during the storm.
After the storm
Do not run water until you know the public system is up — a boil-water notice means the supply pressure dropped, and the first water back carries sediment that clogs aerators and fill valves. Open the main slowly. Check the water heater for water around it before restoring power. If the yard flooded over the sewer path, have the line camera-inspected ($150–$300) before assuming it is fine; silt and debris in a main line are the usual post-storm $200–$450 call. Ready.gov's warning about mold applies to any indoor water intrusion: dry it within days, in this climate.
When to stop and call a licensed plumber
- The main shutoff will not close, or leaks when operated — replace it before the season.
- The water heater's relief valve is weeping, or the heater is over ten years old and you want it checked before a power outage cycles it.
- A floor drain or tub gurgles during heavy rain — the main line is at risk of backing up.
- After a storm: water around the heater, slow drains, or any sewage smell outdoors.
Rosco Plumbing's $149/year maintenance plan in Manatee County includes the pre-season shutoff, water heater and valve checks on this list.
Call (941) 345-2464 or request a free estimate. Residential service in Manatee County; ranges are planning figures, not quotes.
Have Rosco Plumbing contact you about this
Describe what you are seeing and Ross will call or text back with what it sounds like and what the visit costs — no obligation.
What changes in Manatee County
Manatee County's flood-exposed neighbourhoods — Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Palmetto's riverfront, Perico Bay Club, west Bradenton near the bay — carry the sewer-surcharge and the elevated-home risks; their water heaters and backflow assemblies are often in ground-level enclosures that flood first. Inland, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish and the 55+ communities mostly face the outage-and-evacuation case: an empty house with the water on. Seasonal owners who are away for the whole season should have the shutoff closed before they leave — the snowbird shutdown guide is that list.