5 Plumbing Tips for the Summer Season
Are you prepared to say goodbye to spring and welcome summer? Well, before you say yes, you have to know that there are certain plumbing issues that could be waiting for you as the season ushers in. You are well aware that summer brings with it humidity and heat, although perfect for vacations, it may not be so great for your home plumbing system. So what are the things you can do to prepare your home plumbing system for the summer season? Here are some helpful tips.
Sprinkler Leaks
Your lawn and garden would be needing extra doses of water to keep it looking good and beautiful during the summer heat. This means more use of your sprinkler system. However, you need to be on the lookout for leaks that can go undetected. This is especially true if you have a timer that allows the sprinkler system to operate unsupervised.
Check all connections and fixtures connected to the sprinkler system to make sure that there are no leaks along the line. Once you suspect that there is a leak, call a professional plumbing service immediately to have it repaired. This will help save you from costly repairs and prevent unnecessary consumption of water.
Washing Machine Hoses
For washing machine hoses, a thorough inspection is in order. Keep in mind that during the summer season, you and your family will be engaged mostly in outdoor activities. This means a mountain of dirty clothes and a lot of washing to be done. Make sure that your washing machine hoses do not have bulges, cracks, or leaks. If you have a rubber hose, this is more prone to bursting and cracking. Replace it with a stainless steel hose if necessary.
Make it a habit to remove dryer lint regularly. The washing machine itself should be positioned about 4 inches away from the wall to prevent possible damage to the hose. If your washing machine hose is at least 3 years old, replace it!
Garbage Disposal and Dishwasher
Are you one of those who enjoy eating outdoors? If yes, then you are definitely looking forward to those barbecues with family and friends. Although this may be a time for enjoyment, you have to be aware that the extra food that is pushed into the garbage disposal can cause problems. This is especially true if these are fibrous or stingy and have bones or grease. This can throw your garbage disposal into a fit pretty quick.
To make sure that your garbage disposal is not overworked, run cold water at full pressure for about 15 to 20 seconds before and after you use the garbage disposal. This will help ease the workload and allow the garbage to be disposed of properly.
As for your dishwasher, just like your garbage disposal, never overstuff it by just jamming in whatever dishes that need to be cleaned. Observe proper usage of the dishwasher based on the recommendations of its manufacturer. Make sure that the connections are tight and leak-free as well.
Clogged Toilets
Expecting many visitors? Then this means that your toilets are going to work harder than usual. This also means that children will be around more than they usually are. As the usage of your toilets increases, so does the danger of clogging.
How do you avoid clogging? The first rule is to teach children (even adults for that matter) to use only the right amount of toilet paper. Second, make it clear what cannot go down the bowl; which means ensuring that there is a trash can in your bathroom all the time for personal hygiene materials like tampons, cotton, diapers, and other materials that can cause clogging.
It would not hurt to have a flange plunger on standby just in case you have to deal with a clogged toilet emergency.
Sewer Backups
The summer season is notorious for sewer line backups. This is primarily because the summer rainwater enters the sewer line through cracks and other similar vulnerabilities. This gets worse when coupled with tree roots intrusion. To make sure that you are not faced with this tremendous problem, make sure that you schedule a sewer video inspection to know the actual state of your sewer line.
By following these tips, you can be sure that summer will bring tremendous memories of joy rather than headaches and costly plumbing repairs. Call Scott English Plumbing at (714) 987-9801 or 714-987-9801.