Summer Plumbing and Maintenance

Summer activities, like barbecues, reunions, swimming, and vacations, can mean increased traffic in your home. This means more flushes of the toilet, more clothes to wash with the kids home, and more dishes to clean. You’re using the hose more to fill up that kiddie pool, water your flowers and sprinkle the lawn.

Plumbing is one of the most important utilities but it’s often neglected. Your home’s system of pipes and pumps brings water to you on demand – one unpleasant plumbing problem can cancel out that world-famous barbecue. There are many preventative measure you can take to prepare for the warm months and ensure you can enjoy your summer rather than spend it worrying about leaks, clogs and other plumbing issues.

Clear your Gutters:

Your gutters play an important role in keeping water away from the foundation of your home. Gutters should be free of debris such as leaves, twigs and other material. Make sure your sprinklers are pointed away from the foundation and move several feet away from the house to use the water hose for common tasks.

Watch your Washer:

Summertime brings a deluge of dirt, which means more laundry. Start summer with an inspection of the washer and its parts. Pull it away from the wall and check the connections and the hoses. Do you see water, mildew or other evidence that something is getting wet occasionally? Replace any hoses that are cracked or look distressed. You can consider a stainless steel hose, as well, since it is stronger and will last longer than rubber.

Assess Sweaty Pipes

It is normal to see a little bit of condensation on your pipes, faucet heads and other areas when the cold water is running. Usually the condensation will stop after you’ve finished with the cold water. If it is consistently present, you may have cold water continuing to run somewhere – leaky faucet, running toilet or improper main valve adjustment.

Maintenance Tips:

• In places where you have hard water and mineral deposits, use hot, soapy water or a decalcifying solution occasionally to remove the deposits and buildup on shower heads, bathroom spigots, spray nozzles, faucet washers and washing machine fixtures to keep the water running freely through them.

• Don’t ignore odors, because they’re not normal. A quality, correctly operating plumbing system runs without odor, so any unpleasant smells indicate a problem. Common culprits in stinky situations are leaks or cracks in the traps or vent piping of a septic or sewage system, bad seals, a defect or a failed component.

City Air Mechanical offers licensed plumbers for plumbing-leak detection and any plumbing-related project for home or commercial business. Don’t hesitate to let us know what is on your mind and how we can help with it.