Seasonal changes affect not only you but also your home, particularly its plumbing system. Hence, you need to slightly alter the way you use and maintain it based on the season.
We are a little bit aware of how winters affect plumbing. Thus, we have the whole system winterised by an emergency plumbing service to protect it. However, we expect summers to be problem-free. It’s a misconception!
Every season, including summer, brings new plumbing challenges. We need to be ready for them! Here’s a list of expected plumbing problems in summer that homeowners should be aware of.
Bookmark the article if you want to refer back later!
1. Overloaded Washing Machines
Summers are when we plan a lot of events— vacations, pool parties, camping, and other outdoor activities. Depending on the size of your family, this can significantly increase the workload on your washing machine.
Overloading and overusing a washing machine can cause leaks in the hose. If neglected, it can flood the house, skyrocketing the monthly water bill.
Fortunately, it’s a relatively easier problem to fix than some of the others we will discuss later. You can fix it yourself if the leak is a simple one. If not, call any 24-hour plumbing services, and they will do it for you in 5 minutes!
2. Tree Roots Intrusion
Your pipes may be invaded by tree roots in any season. However, the chance of it happening is significantly higher in the summer.
In summer, trees seek more water and nutrients underground by extending their roots. Because the roots are naturally drawn to water, they may find your sewer pipelines and intrude. This can cause severe clogs in the pipes.
This isn’t something you can fix, though! It calls for professional help.
Your cue to call your emergency plumbing service is when you experience sewage issues, such as water backing up.
3. High Water Bills
Typically, water usage increases during summer than in other seasons. Consider the following reasons.
- You might have more guests
- Indulging in more and longer showers
- Water leaks
- High use of garden hoses, sprinklers, and irrigation systems.
- Using any other water-consuming appliances more.
It may not be possible to fix some of these reasons, like more guests. However, it’s helpful to have an expert— residential or commercial plumber as per your need —on standby for unexpected problems.
Plumbing problems are more common than you think. All you can do is promptly address whatever issues arise and check your plumbing habits.
4. Irrigation Leakages
Problems are more likely to occur in houses with underground irrigation systems for landscaping and lawns during the summer.
When using your irrigation system for the first time this season, you can observe drenched areas of your lawn or poor spray output. It might indicate a leak caused by a damaged irrigation system pipe.
More reasons for irrigation leaks:
- These pipes are also susceptible to damage from soil that freezes and thaws in the winter and spring.
- Even unintentional damage may happen during yard maintenance or landscaping projects.
Keep an eye out for these signs, and call your commercial plumber as soon as you notice them. Quickly fixing these leaks will control the damage.
5. Sprinkler Problems
You need to tend to your lawn more often in summer than at any other time. Sprinkler problems are more likely to develop at this juncture.
In summer, the sprinkler heads frequently sustain damage due to lawnmowers and other gardening tools knocking them.
The foot traffic also improves during this season due to improved weather. This creates a greater chance that sprinkler heads may be damaged by being tripped over, trodden on, or even run over.
When any of these issues happen, cut off the water supply to these sprinklers and call the expert as soon as possible.
To be on the safe side, remember NLK plumbing when your regular plumber is unavailable. They handle everything from gutter services to gas installations in Melbourne.
6. Sump Pump Failure
Your sump pump is a crucial piece of equipment if your house has a basement.
When rain threatens to flood your basement, sump pumps prevent it from happening. Summer rains can be particularly heavy, and it could malfunction if your pump isn’t frequently maintained.
If your sump pump breaks out, you can end up with a sizable quantity of standing water in the basement. Some reasons a sump pump could malfunction are:
- Lack of power
- Mechanical issues
- Discharge line clogs
These could create problems with your sump pump. You can check if it’s in working condition before the start of summer and you’ll be good. Otherwise, you may need to look for guttering services in Melbourne in the nick of time.
There’s nothing better than being proactive.
Conclusion
While the winter season affects plumbing in a climatic manner, summer plumbing problems are mostly due to increased activity. It significantly increases the load on all plumbing fixtures, ultimately leading to high expenditure.
Therefore, it is important to have regular general maintenance by a plumber. It helps you detect problems beforehand and fix them quickly. NLK Plumbing offers 24-hour plumbing services by the best plumbers.
Give them a chance if you are looking for professionals, especially gas plumbers in Melbourne!
We hope this guide helps you take care of your plumbing system during the summer season.