Simple Ways to Protect Your Home from Summer Plumbing Hiccups

June 03, 2024

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There is an old Alice Cooper song that goes, “School’s out for summer…school’s out forever!” Woo-hoo!

OK, maybe it isn’t out forever, but most schools have closed their doors until August. And with the kids home for the summer, you’ll have much more activity inside your house. And all that extra indoor activity often means more friends at your house, plenty of showers, extra loads of laundry, endless handwashing, extra toilet flushing, and so much more. 

Naturally, all this commotion can put extra stress on your plumbing system. To help alleviate these common summer plumbing issues, we’re offering some free advice!

Try these five tips this summer to help ease the strain on your plumbing system.

Clogged or dirty drains

Hair is a common cause of clogged drains. If more people are showering in your home, more hair is going to get stuck. When you experience this problem, try taking out the plug and pulling out debris by hand or use a plumber’s snake. To freshen up drains and help remove small clogs, try the following home remedy: Gather a ½ cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. First pour boiling water down the drain, then add the baking soda followed by vinegar. Let it set for 10 minutes before flushing with boiling water again. If all else fails, call us for drain cleaning service. 

Water heaters

When you have extra people at home, more hot water gets used than usual. To alleviate stress on your hot water heater, ask guests to limit their showers to four to five minutes. In addition, when doing laundry, wash loads in cold water. And when it comes to using the dishwasher, set the dishwasher to run during the night—presumably when showers are not being taken. And remember, if you do discover it’s time for new water heater installation, Blue Dot is here for you seven days a week. 

Running toilets

If you’ve noticed that your toilet has been running, it could be time to replace the flapper—this is especially important if you’re expecting guests. Over time, flappers wear out, which causes water to continuously drain from the tank. You can find toilet flapper replacements at most hardware stores and swap out the old one for a new one. Need help? We’re just a phone call away. 

Laundry loads

Did you know that your washing machine uses the same amount of energy regardless of what size load its washing? So, fill up the washer when doing your loads. In addition, using cold water will also help save on energy use. 

Garbage disposals

Kids are messy. And when they’re running in and out of the kitchen, they can be known to toss the wrong things into your garbage disposal. To keep your disposal functioning and efficient, avoid placing things such as eggshells, grease, coffee grinds, potato peels, chicken bones, fruit pits, pasta, nuts, citrus rinds, and stringy vegetables in the disposal. Quick tip: When in doubt? Toss it in the trash can!

Random Reminders to Help Protect Your Plumbing

Now that we’ve reminded you of the more common ways to avoid plumbing mishaps this summer, here’s a list of some other things to consider doing this season:

• Sewer line inspections
• Pool inspections and checkups for pool owners
• Sprinkler system maintenance
• Outdoor spigot and faucet checks
• Gutter cleaning and drainpipe maintenance 

As summer continues to heat up and your home experiences more guests and visitors, feel free to rely on Blue Dot for all your home service needs. From emergency AC repair to HVAC replacements, we are your go-to team of HVAC and plumbing experts. Call us today at 410.204.2662 or schedule your appointment online.