3 Of The Most Common Summer Plumbing Issues To Be On The Lookout For
When most of us think of summer, we tend to think of fun in the sun, family vacations, home improvement projects, and overall just more time to spend with family and friends. In fact, during the summer months, most of us don’t give the plumbing systems in our homes a second thought unless something goes wrong with them. While there are plenty of other things for you to focus your attention on during the summer, and while you might not think that the summer months of the year are a particularly difficult time for your plumbing system, it could be a costly mistake to ignore them entirely. What exactly are these issues, however, and what should you do if they occur in your home? In an effort to help you keep your home well protected this summer from any kind of serious plumbing issues, our team of professional plumbers have taken the time to put together this short list detailing exactly what a few of these more common plumbing issues are and how you can protect your home against them.
Clogged Disposals
The summer months are definitely the time of year to fire up the grill, invite the neighbors and friends over, and enjoy the outdoors and some good food all at the same time. With all of this extra food though, you need to give consideration to how you are disposing of it. One of the most common issues that we are called on to repair during the summer months are disposals that have become damaged or clogged because they’ve had the wrong types of food put down them to be disposed of. It is important to keep in mind exactly what you are able to get rid of down your disposal, and what is better put in the trash, and to make sure that everyone else is aware of this as well. While most organic materials like fruits and vegetables can be put down your disposal, certain hard fruits and veggies, like watermelon and corn are too fibrous to be ground up properly, and can lead to stubborn clogs that might require professional help to get rid of. It is also important to remember that used cooking oils and grease leftover from grilling shouldn’t be put down your drains, as they tend to congeal when exposed to hot water, and lead to particularly rough clogs that require some effort to get rid of. You also want to make sure that before and after you grind up anything, you run the cold water through your disposal for several seconds to clear any remaining bits of food.
Sewer Line Backups
With the warmer weather, the summer months usually have their fair share of rain, and if this excess moisture is able to find its way into your sewer lines through gaps or cracks, it can lead to backups into your home. If you notice that you have water backing up into the drains in your home’s tubs, showers, or sinks, you are going to want to call in a professional right away and have then get to the root of the issue. While it might not help you if your drains have already started to back up, installing drain plugs before the water starts to do so can help to prevent it from backing up into your home completely.
Clogged Toilets
With the kids and their friends out of school for the summer, it likely means they are going to be spending extra time around your home, and that means that your toilets are going to be getting a bit more use than they are used to during the average day. This increased use also leads to the increased likelihood of clogs developing, and while most of these can be removed with a plunger and a little bit of effort, some of the more serious ones might require professional help to get sorted out. One of the easiest ways to prevent this issue is to hold a family meeting and make sure that everyone is on the same page as to what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet, and what amount of toilet paper constitutes the proper amount to use when going to the bathroom. Taking this small step now can save you a lot of headache over the coming months.
