Welcome to summer. The sun is shining high in the sky. Your weekends are filled with BBQs and trips to the beach. The kids are home from school. Most of all, though – it’s hot. It’s “melt your ice cream” hot. It’s “too hot to be outside” hot. Unfortunately, Dallas summers also tend to be “increased risk of plumbing problems” hot. Anytime the average daily high temperature rises to the 90s, your plumbing is going to feel the heat strain.
Summer is supposed to be a time for fun and excitement! Plumbing problems are neither fun nor exciting. It’s… almost amazing how both “not fun” and “not exciting” they are, actually. That’s why you should know how to prevent heat-related plumbing problems: to keep your summer fun! Here are three common heat-related plumbing problems, and how you can avoid them.
Clogged drains – especially in your garage!
During the summer, there will probably be more people around your house. Kids are home from school, you’re might have vacations or Fridays off, and you’ll probably host more. All that activity adds up to more wear and tear on your home’s drains. The more chaotic the household, the higher the chance something ends up in your drain that shouldn’t be there. It’s nobody’s fault, really–it’s easy to accidentally flush something down the drain–but it will be a problem.
Make sure to remind your children, self, and party guests not to wash the following down the drain:
- Coffee grounds
- Bacon grease or similar oil
- Food scraps
- Wet wipes, paper towels, or napkins
Additionally, pay attention to the drain inside your garage. Because it’s out of the way, this integral drain can often be forgotten until clogs are severe. This is especially true during the summer when it will be facing more foot traffic, dirt, foliage, and the like. If you suspect you have a small clog you can fix it by pouring a pot of boiling or (at the very least) very hot water down the problem drain. If it’s bigger, you’ll have to bring in the pros for a professional drain cleaning service.
Collapsed sewage drains.
Texas can get pretty dry in the summer, depending on the region and month. When the ground dries out more than usual, it can affect the things in the ground. Heat and dry weather can “bake” your sewer line or other outdoor pipes on your property until they crack.
While it takes years of damage for anything extreme to happen, the problem can be severe when it does. Circumvent this problem by maintaining a healthy watering schedule for your lawn during dry months. You can protect other, unburied outdoor pipes by covering them in breathable insulation.
Blocked gutters.
Falling leaves fall are probably the most common debris clogging up gutters, but they’re not the only problem. Blocked or clogged gutters can create some major huge issues in and around your home. They lead to slow or backed-up drains and might even eventually trigger leaking or burst pipes.
All kinds of fallen debris gets flushed into your gutters during winter or spring. If you leave that debris there until summer, then you’ll already have the beginning of a clog. Summer creates all kinds of its own debris, too. Fallen twigs, leaves, grass clippings, and flower petals can all flush into your gutters and clog things up. Here’s your official reminder: keep your gutters cleaned or your plumbing might rebel!
Summer is meant to be a time of fun and relaxation. Help keep it that way by staying aware of your biggest heat-related plumbing problems and how to avoid them. That way, if you do come across a problem, you’ll notice right away. Then, all you’ll have to do is call the professionals at Ben Franklin Plumbing to come by and fix things.