Summertime Plumbing Tips From Your Local Plumbing Company | Knoxville, TN
Life during summer is easy, other than the scorching heat. However, the activity increases in most homes around that time. It is during summers that people plan for house parties and hikes. Since the kids are on break from school and the traveling family members and friends might show up and stay at your home for several days, weeks, or even a month, water use is bound to increase.
Additionally, there will be more sewer wastes and energy consumption heating the water for showers. Hence, the plumbing appliances and fixtures might work harder because of the added use. Hence, you might notice appliance breakdowns and sewer plumbing issues that prompt you to call a plumbing company in Knoxville, TN, to have them inspected and fixed. Below are some of the plumbing tips that you might use for summer.
Hand Sinks and Toilets
The size of your family or the number of inhabitants at your home can affect all the aspects of the plumbing system at your home. These include issues such as clogged hand sinks and toilets in the bathroom and blockages in other plumbing areas of your home, such as the kitchen and the swimming pools. The excessive use of toilet paper also can result in clogged sewer lines. Hence, you should remind the family members and visiting guests to use a smaller amount of toilet paper to reduce the potential for clogs. Additionally, you are advised to keep a plunger ready just in case.
Hand sinks are bound to clog even with normal use. The added hair gobs and other foreign materials, toys, and debris that might find their way into the bathroom sinks might result in a mess. Though not as bad as a clogged toilet, the blocked hand sinks will still require some plunging. Unfortunately, not all blockages can be removed by a plunger, and you might have to enlist the help of a plumbing company to clean the drains and remove the blockage, especially for clogged toilets. In most cases, the guest bathrooms see minimal use.
You might not notice a plumbing issue until they see increased use. If you are planning a summer house party, hire a plumber to inspect the guest bathrooms before the company arrives. This helps you ensure that all things are in order. If there is an underlying issue, the professional will diagnose it and use their experience and training to fix it. However, any plumbing company will advise homeowners to retain their service in annual inspection and maintenance of their plumbing.
Showers
During the summer, the showers are used more than in other seasons. As some family members increase or change their showering habits to get rid of the smelly sweat of the summer day, more water will be used. There is also additional showering after a boat trip into the sea, a hike, or a trip into the sea. During these trips, the dirt, debris, and sand might be carried into a shower, and whenever they find their way into the drains, they might slow them.
Hence, you should rinse the dirt outside before entering the shower. However, if you notice that the shower drains are slow, do not reach out to the chemical drain cleaners that might result in more harm than good to your drain pipes. Instead, hire the services of a professional plumber in Knoxville, TN, for a drain cleaning service.
Garbage Disposals
Summer brings on an abundance of produce and vegetables. Unfortunately, some of the waste you throw down the garbage disposal unit might inundate it and result in sewer issues. When using the garbage disposal unit, ensure that you run enough water through the lines during its use to ensure the waste can flow through the sewer lines smoothly. Additionally, do not pour grease and cooking oil down the garbage disposal unit.
Other things to avoid throwing down the garbage disposal include watermelon rinds, potato peels, and other fibrous wastes. Although you might plunge into a clogged garbage disposal unit, that is a temporary solution. Instead, you should hire a professional plumbing company to clean the unit and ensure it is optimally operating. The professionals have the right tools and experience to complete drain cleaning quickly. They can also offer advice on properly using a garbage disposal unit.
Faulty and Clogged Sewer Lines
The age of the pipes, tree roots, ground movements, and disturbances are among the most notorious cases of sewer line failure. As the rains recede and days become warmer, the ground becomes drier. This might make the sewer pipes begin shifting, resulting in cracks. The cracks and fractures on the sewer lines will then allow the tree roots and sediments to penetrate the piping, resulting in sewer backup and clogging in your home.
However, there are some common signs that your sewer line has an obstruction, including water backups into the bathtub, the formation of wet spots in the yard which draw flies and insects, or even multiple clogged drains. If you are experiencing or have noticed either of the above signs at your home, you should call a professional plumbing company for sewer line repair and cleaning. The professionals will inspect the sewer line and drainage system and fix the affected section to ensure the sewer is flowing properly.
The plumber might recommend sewer line replacement if the problem is more protracted. Most homes constructed over 100 years ago might have clay, cast iron, or Orangeburg sewer lines that will have outlived their service life. With trenchless repair technologies, sewer line repair can be done without any damage to your yard safely and quickly. This is because the professionals don’t have to dig up your yard.
Sprinklers
Summer plumbing issues mostly affect the in-ground sprinklers. The increased foot traffic in your backyard because of the summer parties, barbeques, lawn maintenance, and kids can result in damaged sprinkler heads. It is easy to notice a cracked or damaged sprinkler head though not always. Have you noticed that your water utility bill has increased after a summer? That might be a sign of a damaged sprinkler system, and you should seek the assistance of a professional plumbing company to address the problem.
We Are Your Reputable Plumbing Company
During summer, many parties, hikes, and visiting friends and families might take a toll on your Knoxville, TN plumbing resources. Therefore, it is advised that you hire a professional plumbing company before and after the summer to inspect, fix, and maintain your plumbing systems. You can rely on our plumbing company if you need any plumbing service. Call us at My Professional Plumber today.
