Each time the seasons change, so do the tasks you need to do to take care of your home. While frozen pipes are a big concern during the winter, there are other plumbing problems you have to grapple with when summer rolls around. From making sure the different parts of your plumbing system are in working order to changing up some habits, there are a lot of things you need to do to prepare for the summer. If you want to avoid costly calls to a professional plumbing service this summer, check out some of these great tips.
Vacation Planning
One of the best parts about summer is the fact that everybody has more free time for things like vacations. There’s no better feeling than packing up your car and heading far from home for a camping trip or a visit to family in another state. However, there are some important things you should do before you head out for your next vacation this summer.
Wear and tear is one of the biggest reasons for plumbing service calls. All the pipes and fixtures in your home have a certain lifespan, so treating them with care is an important part of making them last longer. Since you won’t need hot water while you’re away on vacation, turning down your water heater temperature is a good idea when you’re on a trip. Not only does this prevent wear and tear on your water heater that can lead to frequent service calls, it also saves you money on your energy bill while you’re away.
Toilet Tips
If you live in a household with lots of school-aged children, you need to think about the change in demand for all the fixtures in your home. People simply aren’t home very much during the school year, which means your toilets, showers and sinks get a break from constant use. The increase in use during the summer is a common cause for summer plumbing service calls.
Now that your toilets are getting a little more use, make sure everyone in your home is educated about what can and can’t go down the toilet. Ideally, you should only flush toilet paper down the toilet. Even the wipes that are marketed as flushable tend to clog up your pipes because they don’t break down the way toilet paper does. Some of the other objects you should avoid flushing down the toilet include cotton swabs and balls, makeup products and cigarette butts.
Watch Your Bill
Since people are home more often and summer is the perfect time for all water-related activities, it’s normal for your water bill to go up a bit during the summer. However, you should call a plumbing service to check your pipes if you notice your bill shooting up too much. It could be that you’ve got a leak or another similar problem that’s causing your water bill to skyrocket unexpectedly.
Another thing you have to consider when it comes to your water bill is whether or not people are being responsible with water usage. While you might do your best to conserve water, somebody else in your house could be wasting water and causing your bill to increase suddenly. This is a common problem with kids during the summer because they’re always trying to cool off. If you’ve had a plumbing service confirm that you don’t have a leak and your water bill is still a lot higher than it should be, make sure you’re keeping an eye on faucets, hoses and other water sources that people may be leaving on at home.
Garbage Disposal Tips
While it can be tempting to put a lot of food down your garbage disposal to avoid throwing wet food in the garbage, that can quickly lead to a plumbing service call. Your garbage disposal is designed as a last line of defense which can grind up and dispose of any food that happens to go down the drain.
If you use your garbage disposal frequently to avoid throwing wet food in your garbage can, you can invest in a strainer for your kitchen sink. These strainers catch food before it gets to the garbage disposal and can easily be emptied into the garbage can after each use. You should also avoid putting things like egg shells, coffee grounds, bones and oil down your kitchen drain to prevent clogs.
If your garbage disposal is smelling a little funky, you can clean it without the help of a plumbing service expert. All you have to do is pour some baking soda and vinegar down the drain and allow the bubbles to work their magic. You can also sharpen and clean your garbage disposal’s blades by running ice through it.
Sprinkler Maintenance
Once the weather starts getting nicer, sprinklers become an important part of many Minneapolis, MN, homes. That being the case, spring is the perfect time to have your sprinklers inspected, maintained and fixed if necessary.
A plumbing service professional can carefully inspect all the parts of your sprinkler system to ensure it’s working properly. If there’s a leak or an issue with water pressure, they can get it fixed now before you’re stuck with a dead, brown lawn from a busted sprinkler system.
Prepare for Summer
If you want to keep your home in good shape and avoid expensive repair bills this summer, these plumbing tips can help. Make sure everybody in your home is educated about taking care of drains and conserving water this summer.
The best way to prepare your Minneapolis, MN, home for summer is to call a professional plumbing service like Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains. We can inspect your plumbing system to make sure everything is working and we can fix any problems we catch. If you want to get the plumbing in your home ready for the summer, call Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains at 952-213-3642.
