Preventing Plumbing Problems in Hot Weather
As temperatures heat up this summer, they can have an adverse impact on your plumbing. To avoid problems and emergencies in the form of breakdowns and emergencies, it's essential to know exactly how summer heat impacts it directly and indirectly.
Leakage in pipes is an increasingly prevalent issue during hot weather, often signaling that they have aged beyond their intended lifespan or there may be an obstruction somewhere along their drain lines.
1. Keep Your Water Use to a Minimum
Summer is a wonderful season to host backyard BBQs, play corn-hole games and watch your children splash around in their pool. However, all these enjoyable activities can put undue strain on your plumbing systems and compromise their effectiveness.
Clogged drains can become increasingly problematic during the summer due to long showers and children flushing toys, hair, or other items down toilets. Limiting water usage as much as possible and scheduling regular drain cleanings can help avoid these problems altogether.
Heat in summer months can also cause metal pipes to expand and crack, increasing their risk. Regular inspection and proper insulation of pipes is one way of mitigating this risk.
Hot temperatures can make the soil around your home's foundation unstable and lead to shifts of the surrounding ground, increasing its chances of plumbing leaks and other problems. Burying your water lines as far from the foundation as possible and maintaining proper landscaping are effective solutions. Furthermore, make sure your main water valve is turned off when leaving for extended periods.
2. Inspect Your Pipes Regularly
Pipes are vital in providing water to all of your appliances and fixtures, so regular inspection is vital. At Plumbing by Jake, we recommend an inspection every two years in order to identify potential problems early and save both money and hassle down the line.
One of the most frequent plumbing problems is leaking pipes, and these issues can arise for any number of reasons, including age and corrosion, shifting ground conditions, high water pressure levels or other concerns. You can usually spot an leaking pipe by seeing water pooling near it or hearing dripping noises – two sure signs it's leaking!
Inspection of pipes is also beneficial in order to avoid tree roots entering your plumbing system and cracking or bursting pipes, which is expensive to repair. By keeping trees away from this system, one can avoid this costly complication.
Hot weather can put additional strain on your plumbing system, including increased risk of leaks and other problems. By having it professionally inspected, taking measures to shield pipes from direct sunlight, and keeping water usage to a minimum this summer, you can help avoid plumbing-related headaches.
3. Have Your Pipes Inspected by a Professional
Summer's scorching heat can wreak havoc on plumbing systems. By employing preventative measures, however, homeowners can protect their home against costly and stressful plumbing repairs.
Professional plumbers can help prevent problems by conducting a whole-house plumbing inspection. A visual examination includes looking over pipes, fixtures and other parts of your plumbing system to assess any possible issues; while camera inspection allows plumbers to look inside pipes to identify damage or blockages.
Regular plumbing inspections can detect leaks that are hard to spot during the summer, saving water and money on monthly bills by fixing leaks early. A full-house inspection may also detect issues with sewer line infiltration such as tree roots infiltrating pipes – acting fast on such issues can avoid expensive replacement costs in the future. Inspecting homes prior to buying them is also extremely beneficial, providing buyers with information regarding what conditions exist within their plumbing systems and any potential surprises that may be encountered upon moving in.
4. Keep Your Drains Clean
Clogged drains can often be the source of plumbing issues in homes. Clogs can lead to health concerns for residents living there as well as structural damage (warped floorboards or rotted wall supports) or pest infestations in your home.
Maintaining clean drains can be done easily with regular care and maintenance. Each week, pour a pot of hot water down each kitchen and bathroom drain to rinse them out; and once every month use baking soda and vinegar as a natural cleaner – this solution can dissolve and dislodge any clogs present in your pipes.
It's also essential to not put anything that shouldn't belong in your drain, such as coffee grounds or cooking grease, into it. Instead, they should be composted or put in an appropriate can instead of going down your garbage disposal. Furthermore, run hot water when washing dishes by hand or placing them into your dishwasher to prevent grease solidifying in its lines and becoming hardened before flushing down. Running this hot water also emulsifies it more easily so it can flow easily down the drain line.
5. Schedule Regular Plumbing Maintenance
Plumbing problems are never enjoyable or rewarding, and can quickly become expensive if left to grow unchecked. To minimize potential headaches caused by these issues, performing regular plumbing maintenance at your home may help – such as regular inspections.
Clean your drains on a regular basis to help avoid clogs and reduce odors while prolonging their lifespan and relieving strain from pipes by not pouring grease down them (and thus alleviate stress on them).
Most licensed plumbers recommend having your plumbing system inspected and maintained at least annually, although the frequency may differ depending on its age and condition, tree roots nearby and number of cracks in pipes due to tree root intrusion. By taking these simple steps regularly you can significantly decrease your chances of experiencing plumbing issues during hot weather months.
Plumbing Services in Ventura County CA
Plumbing Services in Simi Valley CA
3255 Old Conejo Road Suite 103
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
As temperatures heat up this summer, they can have an adverse impact on your plumbing. To avoid problems and emergencies in the form of breakdowns and emergencies, it's essential to know exactly how summer heat impacts it directly and indirectly. Leakage in pipes is an increasingly prevalent issue during hot weather, often signaling that they…