Spring is here! Time to check those connections

Finally! It’s been a particularly harsh winter for much of the country and we’re all looking forward to a milder spring. This year we’ve seen really cold harsh winters up north, and also huge rainfalls throughout the center of the country and out in California.

Winter is hard on outdoor equipment

Plunging temperatures create all sorts of problems. Metal connectors shrink back, leaving tiny gaps where water can get in. If the water doesn’t immediately short anything out, it sits there. When temperatures drop, the water freezes and pushes against the connectors. This can crack them and create even more damage.

Ice that forms on outdoor equipment can make delicate parts bend and break. Winter winds and ice storms can damage anything that’s left outside. Winter, as they say, is a real bummer for anything you leave out there.

Time to take a look at…

Once the icicles melt and before April showers start to come, it’s a perfect time to inspect your antenna and satellite installations to see how they made it through the winter. Don’t just take it for granted that everything’s fine just because you’re getting reception. Look for corroded connectors, loose fittings, cracked mounts… anything that could ruin your viewing enjoyment. If you made note of your satellite strengths before the winter started, run a signal strength test to see if there’s any reason to think that you’ll have to re-aim. Take a look at the dish heater’s power supply and wiring to make sure it’s still safe, and if you mount to the roof, now is the time to inspect that whole area to make sure there’s no chance of a roof leak.

While you’re out there, take a moment to look at the network terminal for your phone and internet, and make sure it’s clean and that no wires look loose or corroded. If they do, call your service provider immediately.

A little spring cleaning is always a good thing and so don’t stop with the outside of the house. Check all your wiring inside the house for potential insect damage or even vermin damage. Those little critters look for places to hide when it gets cold. If there’s wiring in the basement, it’s not a bad idea to make sure the basement drain is open so that there’s less chance that a flooding problem could ruin your wiring too.

What to do if you find damage

This is a perfect time to run new cables, replace that broken antenna, or re-aim your satellite dish. If you find utility equipment like your internet network terminal that looks broken, you should call them directly. However for the rest of it you can easily replace the broken parts with new ones from Solid Signal. You can get all the tutorials you need here at The Solid Signal Blog, too. Just use the search box at the top to look for anything you’ll need, or fill out the web form and we’ll try to give you personalized service! If you want to talk to a phone rep, we’re available during east coast business hours at 888-233-7563.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.