With it already being mid-April, it’s safe to say that summer is finally just around the corner! Time to fire up the grill, enjoy some outdoors time, take a vacation to the beach or anything else you like to do to take advantage of the warmer weather! Being that you’ve landed on a plumbing blog though, we’re going to be looking at the summer in terms of how it impacts your plumbing system. As you can likely guess, when the seasons change, so do the potential plumbing problems you could encounter. After all, I’m sure you’re well aware of the plumbing troubles capable of arising from frigid temperatures, particularly in regards to frozen pipes. Nonetheless, even while you may not expect the summer season to be as severe on your plumbing, there are a handful of things you’ll want to keep in mind.
If you’re dropping by our blog for the first time, welcome! Stine-Nichols Plumbing is a one-stop plumbing business located in North Kansas City, MO. We currently serve the entire Kansas City area, as well as many of the surrounding cities. From residential to commercial and even new construction, we take pride in providing a wide array of plumbing solutions. With our plumbing blog, we like to utilize this as a resource for homeowners. Unless you’re dealing with water heaters, faucets, sewer lines and any other plumbing components on a daily basis, it can be difficult to troubleshoot issues when something goes awry. As mentioned above, today’s blog will focus on plumbing issues that accompany the summer season and how you can limit them from causing damage to your own home.
Make sure your sump pump is always ready to go
Would you agree that the Kansas City area is no stranger to some heavy rainfalls? And I’m going to guess you possibly know someone that’s dealt with a flooded basement before. While flooded basements are sometimes out of your control, it’s always going to be wise to do as much as possible to prevent them from occurring in the first place. One of your most valuable resources in doing just that is going to involve having a properly-functioning sump pump. Installed in a pit, a sump pump is designed to take any water that starts to build up and disperse it away from your house. Water damage anywhere in a house is something you definitely want to avoid.
Even though the purpose of a sump pump is fairly straightforward, homeowners are also going to need to stay diligent to ensure their sump pump is always ready to go. Depending on how often your sump pump is used, it can develop issues over time (just like any other household appliance or fixture). It could be something as simple as the sump pump failing from old age, falling on its side or even accumulating too much debris in the actual pit. If you don’t have a battery backup and the power goes out during the storm, that’s another perfect example of potential sump pump failure. The discharge lines could get clogged up as well, which would obviously make it difficult for the sump pump to perform its normal responsibilities. Long story short, as is the case with the rest of your plumbing components, it’s always going to be in a homeowner’s best interest to conduct routine maintenance and in the case of a sump pump, test it out from time-to-time.
Watch what goes down your drains
Summer is the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy some cookouts with friends and family, right? However, while these parties are always a blast to partake in, it’s important to make sure they don’t result in you having to hire a plumber after the weekend is over! We’ve touched on these items a few times before here on the blog, but nonetheless it’s important to watch what goes down your drains. And if you start noticing your drains running much slower than normal, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a plumber clear them out before it escalates into a much more significant clog. Similarly, it’s also important to watch what goes down your garbage disposal, and understand how much your disposal can or can’t handle. Grease is obviously a no-no for any type of drain, but make sure to also avoid any stringy veggies, coffee grounds and eggshells with your garbage disposal. If you want to play it safe, try and reserve the disposal for only smaller food scraps.
Is your washing machine getting used more frequently?
If you’re like most people, chances are your washing machine will see much higher rates of usage during the summer months. After all, you’ll likely have an increased number of outdoor activities on your calendar and as such, this generally results in more loads of laundry. What this means for a homeowner is simply that you’ll have to avoid overworking the washing machine. Consider using smaller loads of laundry at a time and always keep an eye on any leakages that may appear with the hoses. As you may have started to notice with several of the items mentioned throughout this blog, a great tip for managing your home’s plumbing system involves keeping a watchful eye on the various components. Whether that be your water heater, sump pump, drains or anything else, if you start noticing something that isn’t normal, it’s usually a good idea to have a licensed plumber get eyes on the situation ASAP.
What’s the current state of your sewer line?
As a homeowner, one plumbing problem you never want to deal with (but sometimes is unavoidable) is a damaged or collapsed sewer line. Unfortunately, depending on the severity of the repair, it can be a costly one to have fixed. In any case, as we’re discussing summer plumbing problems, it’s important to note that sewer lines can fail for a number of different reasons, including tree roots. It only takes the slightest of openings for a tree root to find its way into the pipes and after that, you could soon be faced with sewer line troubles. Keep in mind that there are plenty of other factors capable of contributing to failed sewer lines, such as old age, piping materials used and the original installation.
Concerned that you may be dealing with a sewer line issue? Prior to starting the repair process, we always like to run an inspection camera through to see exactly what we’re doing with. This helps ensure you’re not making any unnecessary repairs.
If you need a plumber this summer, call Stine-Nichols!
When it comes to being a residential and commercial plumbing contractor, there’s no denying it’s one of those jobs that requires you to be ready all year round. Simply put, you never know when a plumbing emergency might strike. While some of these plumbing problems, such as a slow drain, don’t necessarily require immediate assistance, you can’t say the same about something like a flooded basement! Hopefully this blog post provided you with some insight into what you should be looking out for this summer season, and in turn, will limit how many plumbing troubles you’re faced with! However, if you ever need a plumber in the Kansas City area, we’re always here to help! To speak with a member of our team or request a free quote, you’re always welcome to call us directly at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE.