Everyone loves summer! The warm weather, longer days and lots of fun activities. While you’re enjoying the summer, watch out for these common plumbing problems that occur this time of year.
Sand and dirt in the plumbing.
After a day at the beach or playing at the park, you and your kids might be extra dirty! If you’re washing up after a sandy or dirty adventure, try to keep as much of that debris out of the drains as possible. Large amounts of sand and dirt can cause a clog or damage your pipes. Have everyone rinse their feet with the hose outside before hitting the bathtub!
Food damaging the garbage disposal.
If you’re cooking up a storm for summer entertaining, make sure to keep fibrous fruit and veggie parts like corn cobs and water melon peels out of the garburator. Anything that has hard seeds or pits, or bones and fat from the grill, can also be a problem. Put those in your compost instead and save your plumbing!
Extra dog hair in the plumbing when your pets are shedding.
If you have a dog that seems to shed all summer long, make sure you’re brushing him regularly to keep clothes off your clothing and bedding. That extra hair when thrown in the wash can clog up your washing machine. Avoid giving your dog a bath inside as the hair can obstruct the drain and just like humans, all that sand and dirt can hurt your plumbing too.
Plumbing disasters while on holiday.
If you’re heading out on a summer holiday this month, ask a friend to come check on your place every few days. You might not want to turn off your water completely if you need them to water your plants and garden while you’re away, but if you’re going for an extended period you should make other arrangements and shut the water supply off.
Walk through the house and make sure all water taps are turned off and that the toilets are not running. Turn down your hot water heater so you’re not wasting energy keep water heated that won’t be used. Taking extra care when you leave will help make sure a plumbing disaster doesn’t occur while you’re gone.
Flooded basement after a major storm.
Check your gutters and downspouts and make sure they’re not damaged or full of debris. You want all the rain to run off your room, down the gutter and away from your home. You should also make sure that your lot is graded away from the home at least 2 inches down for every foot away from the foundation. If water pools around your house during a major storm, it could penetrate through the pores of your concrete foundation and leak into the basement.
