Plumbing systems often experience increased use during the summer due to having people over for cookouts, having family and friends visit and stay over, kids being home during the day once school is out, watering outdoors, etc.
All of this additional use can take a toll on your plumbing fixtures and various parts of your plumbing system, which is why many people experience more frequent plumbing problems during the summer. Here, we’ll look at some of the most common summer problems and what you can do to protect your plumbing.
Sewer Line Backups
Sewer line backups can happen at any time and can occur for a variety of reasons. Fat, oil, grease, wet wipes and feminine hygiene products are among the most common causes of sewer line clogs and sewage backups.The California State Water Resources Control Board’s Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order requires sewer system management plans and monitoring to help reduce backups, overflows, and environmental impacts. That’s why you want to make sure your kids and any guests know what they can safely put down a drain and flush down the toilet.
Heavy rainfalls can also overwhelm the local sewer system to the point that sewage starts flowing back up your sewer line and comes out of your shower and floor drains. This is why many new homes have a backflow valve or gate in the sewer line that will close if sewage ever flows the wrong way.
Another issue you sometimes have to worry about during the summer is tree roots starting to get inside your sewer line and causing it to clog. Larger roots can even just punch a hole in the sewer line or cause it to break.
These issues are why it’s recommended to never plant trees or any deep-rooted bushes and shrubs within 25 feet of your sewer line. You might have an older home with larger trees in your yard. If so, it’s a good idea to schedule regular sewer camera inspections and have your sewer line cleaned at least once a year.
Camera inspections will be able to identify any issues like tree root intrusion. Having your sewer line rooted or hydro jetted is an effective way to get rid of fat buildup, tree roots and any else that could cause it to clog and backup. If tree roots start growing in your sewer line, getting them cleaned out promptly also helps prevent them from causing major damage that necessitates expensive repairs or a full sewer line replacement.
Clogged Garbage Disposal
One issue you may encounter more frequently during the summer is your garbage disposal getting clogged. If you have guests over for a cookout, they may not be familiar with the proper way to use a garbage disposal and could run it without having the water on, overload it or try to run things through it that it can’t handle.
Certain types of food and scraps are too hard, too fibrous or too starchy for a garbage disposal to handle properly and can easily lead to the disposal clogging or getting jammed.
Putting watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and other melon rinds in a garbage disposal can be a recipe for disaster. The flesh of a ripe melon is no issue, since it’s soft enough that it easily gets ground up and flushed down the drain.
Melon rinds, however, are generally too hard for a garbage disposal to grind up and will often get stuck, causing the disposal to clog or the impellers to get jammed. Fruit pits and stones are also much too hard for a garbage disposal and should always be disposed of in the trash. The same is true for corn cobs, bones, nut shells, etc.
When having a cookout, you also want to make sure not to try and run corn husks and silk through your garbage disposal. Corn husks are so fibrous that they will often get wrapped around the impellers and cause the disposal to jam, while corn silk can cause the disposal or the drain to get clogged.
Putting potatoes, potato peels, pasta, rice and any other type of starch or grain in a garbage disposal is also likely to lead to clogs. The main issue is that starches and grains just get ground up into a thick, sticky paste that sticks inside the grinding chamber or the drain pipe. Foods like pasta and rice can also absorb lots of water and swell to the point where they create a major clog.
Any time you’re barbecuing or otherwise cooking meat, you also want to make sure to put meat scraps and leftovers in the trash. Meat fibers are difficult for a disposal to grind up and can cause it to jam. The other concern, especially with cooked meat, is that the fat and grease typically don’t get washed away.
Instead, they cling to the inside of the disposal and drain pipe, creating a sticky coating that traps other things. Even with a garbage disposal, putting fat, oil and grease down the drain will almost always eventually lead to major drain and sewer line clogs.
Washing Machine Issues
Washing machines often get more use during the summer due to kids being home and playing outside, having guests stay over, needing to frequently wash pool towels and swimming suits, etc. A washing machine gives off quite a bit of heat. This contributes to the house being warmer and makes it tempting to try and cram as much as you can into one load.
The concern is that you can create numerous issues if you put too much in your washing machine and overload it. For starters, your clothes don’t get as clean when the washing machine is overloaded.
The bigger issue is that overloading causes the drum to vibrate excessively, and this vibration can potentially knock things loose. There’s also an increased risk of the washing machine starting to leak during a cycle and flooding the surrounding area.
If you frequently overload your washing machine, it will usually have a shorter lifespan and need to be replaced sooner as well. All of these potential issues are why it’s important to spread everything out over several smaller loads instead of trying to do it all at once.
High Water Bills
Water bills are always higher during the summer as a result of watering the lawn and garden. Many people also shower more often during the summer to try and cool down or just to wash off the sweat.
The only thing is that many homes have unnecessarily high water bills due to overwatering outdoors and having inefficient plumbing fixtures. If you have a sprinkler system, upgrading to a smart controller is a simple and effective way to prevent overwatering and reduce your water usage. According to Sacramento County Water Agency’s water-efficiency program, simple changes like reducing lawn watering times and checking soil moisture before irrigating can save substantial gallons of water each day.
Replacing outdated toilets, faucets and showerheads with new low-flow fixtures can also make a significant difference in your water usage and help save you money all year long. The City of Sacramento has several programs and rebates to help homeowners upgrade to water-efficient toilets, faucets, and leak repairs, which helps bring down bills and conserve water. Old standard-flush toilets typically use at least 3.5 gallons of water per flush, and some can use as much as 5 gallons. Low-flush toilets, on the other hand, use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.
If you consider how many times you flush the toilet each day, you can quickly see how the savings add up. Low-flow showerheads are also a great investment, as they will often cut the amount of water you use per shower in half.
Find Plumbing Solutions
Huft Home Services has been helping homeowners in Sacramento take care of all of their major systems since 2004. Our team of experienced plumbers is ready to help you overcome any plumbing problems or whenever you need any installation or maintenance services. For more information, contact us today.
