Summer is a time to get outside and have family and friends over for summer barbecues and get-togethers. Unfortunately, the increase in people, tracked in mud and debris, and increased food preparation can take its toll on your drains. In this article, we’ll cover the top four drain problems in summer and how to tell if you need professional plumbing services.
Table of Contents
1. Garbage Disposal Problems
Cookouts and barbecues bring friends and family together for amazing meals, but all those food scraps can wreak havoc on your garbage disposal. Not to mention, your guests may not know how to properly use a garbage disposal or what foods are safe to put down it. For example, did you know that you shouldn’t send meat scraps, fat and oil, or vegetable peels down your disposal? In fact, the only items you should put down your garbage disposal are the food scraps scraped from plates, minus any bones or fat scraps. Additional forbidden items include eggshells, coffee grounds, nuts, seeds, pasta, rice, fruit pits, and fibrous vegetables, like celery and rhubarb. If forbidden items are sent down your disposal, it could lock up the machine or cause clogs in the drain line.
2. Blocked Drains and Sewer Backups
The added summer traffic through your home and in your bathroom could lead to blocked drains and sewer backups. Some of your guests may try to flush too much toilet paper, leading to clogged toilets and waste lines, or they may try to flush things down the toilet that don’t belong, like wet wipes, facial tissues, napkins, and personal hygiene products.
Additionally, being outside, going to the beach, hiking, and biking can result in getting mud, dirt, and sand on your clothes and person. When you take a shower, all of that debris is washed down the drain. Unfortunately, dirt and sand can get trapped on the bottom of your pipes, especially if they’re not properly graded. All of this can lead to slow drains, and if the pipe gets completely clogged, it can lead to sewer backups. To avoid this, consider hosing off at the beach before coming home or spraying off any excess mud and debris with your garden hose before entering your home and taking a shower.
3. Basement Sump Pump Problems
Sump pumps are often installed in basements and crawl spaces to help pump out excess rainwater. Summer storms, especially severe thunderstorms, can dump several inches of rain onto an area in a short amount of time, and without a properly working sump pump, it can lead to basement and crawlspace flooding. To avoid this fiasco, periodically check your sump pump to ensure it’s working or have it professionally tested.
4. Irrigation System Leaks
The cold temperatures of winter can damage your hose bibs and sprinkler heads if they weren’t properly winterized in the fall. This can lead to leaks and high water bills in the summer. Walk around your home and make sure all of your hose bibs are in good working order and not leaking. If you have an irrigation system, walk through your yard and check each sprinkler head. Make sure it’s in good condition and not leaking. If you do notice any broken sprinkler heads, leaks, or mysterious puddles in your yard, you should call a local plumber to get the problem repaired.
Keeping your plumbing system working efficiently all summer is as easy as paying attention to what you put down your garbage disposal, shower, and toilet drains, getting regular plumbing inspections, and being on the lookout for leaks.
