Five Common Summer Plumbing Problems

Summer is a season for fun activities as well as lots of extra free time. Many homeowners choose to celebrate and enjoy a weekend or holiday of great weather with a barbecue or afternoon party. Is your home ready for the added strain? You may think so, but what condition is your plumbing system in? The added activity in your home could be adding a lot of additional wear and tear to this important system, which could lead to a potential plumbing problem that can really put a damper on your plans. Here are five common plumbing problems homeowners experience during summer, including some advice on how to detect and repair them.

Clogged Toilets

More time at home means more use for your toilet, which further increases the chances of a possible toilet clog. Be sure your kids know to only use a limited amount of toilet paper during each bathroom use in order to minimize the amount of material that must flow out your pipes and out to the sewer. Likewise, be sure you tell your kids not to flush anything down the toilet that doesn’t belong, including feminine hygiene products, which are designed to be absorbent. Finally, should a problem arise, have a plunger on hand.

Backed Up Sewer Lines

Summer isn’t always hot, dry, and sunny. Humid days can lead to sudden, freak rainstorms and sudden downpour can put stress on sewer lines they aren’t prepared for. This could in turn impact your home by causing sewage lines to back up due to their inability to escape into the municipal sewer mains. Want to prevent this from impacting your home? Have your sewer lines cleaned and consider having a drain plug installed! Installing a drain plug is actually a remarkably simple and cheap way you can protect your home from sewage backups.

Broken Sprinkler Heads

Continual exposure to sunlight and the constant damage from water can wear heavily on a sprinkler head, potentially causing them to crack and leak or even burst under pressure. Replacing a sprinkler head that is damaged is fairly easy and not expensive. You can find an identical sprinkler head to what you had by simply taking it to your local hardware or home improvement store and asking someone about finding an exact copy. Sprinkler heads can often be replaced with just a few hand tools that you probably already have, but avoiding the water loss and flooding that a damaged sprinkler head can cause can save you a bundle and prevent damage to your yard or even your home.

Leaky Washing Machines

Your washing machine has two hoses: one that brings water in and another that drains water out. During summer, your washing machine has to work extra hard to keep your family’s clothes laundered, and any issues with these hoses quickly becomes magnified. You should periodically check these hoses for any signs of a leak, including any standing water behind the machine itself, mold growth, or condensation in suspicious places. If you find any signs of a leak, replace the hose. Even a small occasional drop can spread and grow into a home-flooding disaster with little to no warning.

Clogged Garbage Disposals

After your summer barbecue meal is finished, how will you get rid of the leftover food waste, such as bits of fat and gristle? If you’re like many homeowners, these are usually some of the first things that head straight for the garbage disposal. However, fats, oils, and many other food waste products could actually be damaging your disposal. Be careful what you put down: avoid flushing rinds and oils down the system as they can congeal and create blockages, especially when they start to cool down and solidify. Eggshells can damage the teeth in your disposal, particularly as they are ground extremely small. Coffee grinds can have a similar effect as well as increase clumping and clogging in your disposal lines. Be sure your kids also know what not to put down the disposal if you have them clean up.