Summer is a great and fun time of the year. The weather is nice, the kids are out of school, and life, in general, is exciting. However, the rising temperatures, frequent cookouts and having more people in the house, can cause a multitude of issues for the house’s plumbing system. Unexpected and costly plumbing problems can be a major downer and ruin your summer fun if not dealt with promptly.
While plumbing issues may not readily come to mind in anticipation of summer, it is incredibly beneficial to prepare for the unique plumbing issues that the season brings. Here are five most common plumbing issues and tips on how to avoid them this summer:
- Clogged waste disposal.
Frequent outdoor barbecues, cookouts, celebrations, and pool get-togethers can be very burdensome toward the in-sink waste disposal system. Bits of food and debris such as cornhusks, watermelon rinds, bones, and cooking oil can clog and damage the disposal.
Be sure to advise everyone at your home to dispose garbage in appropriate bins. Avoid putting grease, hard fruits, fibrous vegetables, and starchy foods down the disposal unit to avoid clogging. Run cold water at full pressure through the disposal for 15 seconds before and after usage to ensure that it is clear of debris and remaining bits of food.
- Clogged toilets.
Summer vacation means kids spend more time at home. Household toilets are used more frequently and the chances of your toilet clogging are much higher. Other toilet problems include intermittent flushing or no flushing at all and leakage at the base of the toilet. Expect clogged toilets if the toilets is being used by everyone endlessly.
Be sure to check the toilet every two weeks or so, to make sure it’s properly working. You can also advise everyone to use the right type and appropriate amount of toilet paper to avoid toilet clogging. Common clogs can be remedied with a flange plunger. Provide a trash bin so bathroom products that are not easily dissolved such as cotton swabs and other sanitary products are not flushed down the toilet.
- Sewer line backups.
Summer rain showers and thunderstorms are inevitable. Excessive rain can get into sewer pipes through cracks and can cause drainage and clogging problems for bathtubs, toilets and sinks. This can cause raw sewage, which is a health hazard, to back up into the house’s plumbing fixtures.
If you come across this issue, be sure to call us at Sin City Plumbing to properly* inspect sewer line pipes. Our Sin City plumbers can use fiber optic sewer line cameras to accurately assess and determine the house’s susceptibility to sewer line backup problems.
- Overworked washing machines.
Outdoor activities like summer camps and outdoor sports will result in more dirty laundry. The extra load can cause additional stress on the washing machine, which may lead to bulges, leaks and cracks in the washing machine hose.
Be sure you don’t overcrowd the washing machine. Overcrowding not only cause clothes to wrinkle, but can also damage your machine. Plus the machine won’t be able to wash your clothes properly.
In addition, you can also move the washing machine at least four inches from the wall to prevent the hose from kinking and damage. Make sure that the hose has been replaced within the last three years.
- Sprinkler issues.
The outdoor sprinkler system is generally unused during winter. It is important to ensure that the sprinkler system’s plumbing hasn’t been damaged over the winter so the family can take advantage of the cool spraying water in the summer.
Inspect and clean the heads of sprinkler systems. Take extra care when mowing the lawn to avoid damaging the sprinkler heads.
If you have a plumbing emergency, you can contact our friendly plumbers at 702-431-6502. We are available 24 hours a day or you can schedule service appointments at your convenience. We respond immediately on problems such as pipe repair, main line sewer backups, clogged bathtubs, sink problems, outside drainage problems and slab leak repair.
