With the summer season quickly approaching, I think everyone is likely looking forward to the warm weather! Being a plumbing company though, we always like to look ahead and determine how the change in seasons can have an impact on your plumbing system and possibly affect which items are appearing on your plumbing to-do list. After all, we often mention how it’s important to be proactive with your plumbing system as much as possible and most of that is going to come down to ensuring you’re staying on top of regular maintenance over the course of the year!
Throughout this week’s blog post, we’ll take a look at a handful of various items that you’ll want to add to your summer plumbing to-do list. Some of these can be items capable of being completed at any time of the year, but hopefully this blog post will serve as a reminder for any that you may have previously forgotten about. Before we get into summer plumbing advice though, we would like to give a quick hello to anyone stopping by our plumbing blog for the first time. Stine-Nichols Plumbing is located in North Kansas City, MO, and we provide residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services throughout the Kansas City area. Water heater installations, sewer line repairs, you name it! If you live in or near the KC area and are interested in getting a free estimate for an upcoming project, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE.
Now…let’s talk about your summer plumbing to-do list!
Sump Pump Ready to Go?
With all of the rain we’ve had recently here in Kansas City, hopefully you haven’t had to deal with any basement flooding. Unsurprisingly, this can cause some serious damage in a hurry. As a result, it is definitely something you’ll want to avoid (if possible). And that is where a properly-functioning sump pump comes into play. The general purpose/operation of a sump pump is fairly straightforward. Water accumulates in a pit and once it reaches a certain point, the sump pump kicks on and removes the water through a discharge line that leads outside (and away from the home’s foundation). No surprises there!
Why did we choose to include the sump pump in this week’s blog post? Well…for one, there is a chance that it has been called into action with all of the rain we’ve had this spring. Not to mention, you also want to make sure that it is ready to go if we get any more heavy rainfalls as the summer months approach quickly! As a homeowner, the best thing you can do is simply test it out and make sure it kicks on as it should. Pour some water into the pit so it reaches the particular threshold and check if it turns on. Other than that, some other good maintenance practices include cleaning up any debris that may accumulate in the pit, make sure the pump is standing upright, check that there are no leaks in the discharge line (and that it is pointed away from the home’s foundation), and of course, consider the value of having a battery back-up installed as well. All in all, a sump pump can be an extremely useful resource to have for your home!
Clean Out the Gutters
While this next point may not necessarily be attributed to a specific plumbing fixture, it’s definitely worth mentioning to prevent any (avoidable) troubles around the house. Any time there is a chance of water damage, it is something you’ll want to look out for. Over time, there is no denying that debris can accumulate in gutters and restrict their ability to serve their primary purpose, which is guiding rainwater off the roof and away from the home’s foundation. When they get clogged up though with all of this various debris, it can make it very challenging for them to do this. Not to mention, this increased pressure of the built-up debris can even lead to your gutters falling apart too. In the end, adding a regular gutter cleaning to your to-do list will be well worth it!
Keep Tabs on Your Washing Machine
Particularly if you have more than a couple people living in your household, it’s safe to say that the washing machine can receive some significant usage throughout the year. In the winter months, It’s easy to see how this would be the case as we’re generally wearing more layers to stay warm. However, the washing machine is still getting a consistent workload during the summer months too! It’s not hard to see how this would be true, as we spend more time outdoors and may need to change clothes throughout the day. So…the thing we wanted to emphasize here is the need to keep tabs on your washing machine. Be on the lookout for any leaks with the hoses and try to avoid putting too much clothes in it with any one load of laundry.
Time to Flush Your Water Heater?
In closing, we’ll highlight a maintenance task that can be completed any time of the year, but given that it’s also an easy one to forget about, we wanted to include it with this week’s blog post. The water heater is one of many plumbing components that we need working on a daily basis, right? While it really doesn’t require a whole lot of maintenance, one of the best things you can do to keep it in working order is to perform a regular flush of it (generally on an annual basis). Over time, as a result of the presence of hard water, mineral sediment can build up inside your water heater. This forces your water heater to work harder to heat the water and can result in greater amounts of wear and tear on the unit itself. A routine water heater flush can definitely help prevent this from wreaking havoc!
Have Any Summer Plumbing Questions? Give Us a Call!
Without a doubt, your plumbing system is something that you’ll want to keep tabs on year-round. Furthermore, as you can likely guess, the changes in weather can present some unique situations for your plumbing system. A perfect example of this is in the winter months, where frozen pipes are a real cause of concern. Nonetheless, there are also several plumbing tasks that can be applied to any season of the year. In the end, there definitely is value in having a general understanding of your plumbing system and knowing which maintenance tasks should be completed when. As evidenced by this week’s blog post, you’ll see that there are a few that you can knock out in the upcoming months. In addition, it never hurts to look through your various plumbing components and make sure there are no leaks. And of course, if you have a sprinkler system, it would be a good idea to confirm everything is working properly there as well!
For those that live in or near the Kansas City area and need a reliable plumbing company that they can call in times of need, we would love to have the opportunity to work with you! From routine services and repairs to emergencies and everything in between, our team of plumbers possess years of experience tackling a wide range of plumbing projects. To learn more and speak with a member of our team, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481.