The summer brings months of fun with the kids home from school, warm weather, trips to the beach and an abundance of fresh produce. However, in this busy season, you can also overtax your plumbing system. Here are 6 of the most commonly seen summer plumbing problems and some advice you can follow to avoid getting stuck with them:
Clogged Toilets
If you have more all-day inhabitants in your house during the summer, the toilets will get used more often, sometimes resulting in clogs. With the kids home from school all day, remind everyone to use reasonable amounts of toilet paper. You may also want to remind family members what can and can’t go down the toilet. It’s always wise to remind little ones not to place anything but toilet paper in the toilet. Feminine hygiene products should never be placed in the toilet, either.
Slow Shower and Washer Drains
Trips to the beach are a hallmark of summer, especially in Orange County. But what do you always bring back from the beach, aside from happy memories and possibly a sunburn? Sand! This is bad news for your shower drains. Rinse off in the yard with a hose before hopping in the shower. Give swimsuits and other beach clothes a rinse with a bucket of water in the back yard before putting them into the washing machine. Alternatively, use public showers at the beach before heading home. Sand can clog your drains and make them excessively slow, causing problems in the shower, your washer and anywhere else the sand, stones and debris get.
Garbage Disposal Troubles
During the summer, most people enjoy eating more fresh produce which is readily available during this season. However, the fresh produce also produces a greater amount of organic waste that many homes get rid of using a garbage disposal. What’s the fix? Make sure you’re not setting up your garbage disposal for a clog by knowing what it can handle and what should be disposed of another way. Soft produce can go down the garbage disposal, but rinds, hard produce such as carrots, tough items like corn husks, and certainly bones from the barbeque cannot. To keep your drains clear, run water for 10 seconds before and after using the garbage disposal.
Sprinkler Damage
Your sprinklers are in full use during the summer which means they may need a bit of extra maintenance and care. Be extra careful while mowing the quick growing summer grass so that you don’t bump your sprinkler system and damage parts unnecessarily. Make sure you check on your system throughout the summer for damage and repair items as you go. This can prevent you from getting an unexpectedly high water bill.
Roots
Did you know that tree roots often extend in the summer as trees seek more water deeper in the soil? This means that instead of finding more groundwater, the roots may find your pipes or sewer lines. There’s not a whole lot you can do about this, except be prepared to call your plumber at the first sign of sewage troubles such as water backing up.
Water Heater Over-Taxed
During the summer we tend to sweat more and take more showers. Turn your water heater down in the summer months when you don’t need the water to be quite as warm to avoid overwhelming it. You’ll still enjoy the extra showers, without creating a plumbing issue.
If you’ve run into one of these summer plumbing problems, call your friendly plumber at Biard & Crockett to help! We’ll diagnose and solve the problem quickly and effectively so that you can get back to enjoying the summer.