easing summer burden plumbing

Easing the Summer Burden on Your Plumbing, Part 1

We’re fully into the Utah summer, often one of the heaviest periods of the year for a given home’s plumbing system. Between greater water usage in areas like sprinklers and more time spent at home by children who would be in school during other portions of the year, plumbing systems are often at their greatest strain during the summer – but there are simple ways you can limit this burden on them as a homeowner.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’re proud to offer a wide range of plumbing maintenance services to all our clients, ranging from major installations and other significant jobs down to basic upkeep areas like summer maintenance. In this two-part blog series, we’ll go over several themes homeowners should consider, either on their own or with the assistance of our plumbers, to help limit the stress on your plumbing and maintain an optimal system this summer.

Sprinkler Themes

For starters, take some time evaluating your sprinkler system if this was not already done during the spring portion of the year. Many sprinkler heads and other components can be damaged or thrown out of alignment during the long Utah winter, and this in turn can lead to wasted water, rust or improper pooling of water.

Depending on the issues you find – and there may be none – you might need some assistance from our team for certain repairs. Do not attempt major sprinkler repairs you are not trained for, as this will risk not only your safety, but also the quality of the sprinkler line and system.

Drain Concerns

One area that we’ll mention here, but that isn’t specific to the summer whatsoever: Drain maintenance. Some homeowners are under the mistaken impression that their various drains, whether toilets or sinks, are ideal for flushing down a variety of items – hygiene products (besides toilet paper), grease, large food particles and many others.

Simply put, this is incorrect. Drains should only have proper liquids and approved sanitary products, such as toilet paper, put down them. Putting other items in the drain risks major clogs and expensive remedies.

Kids and Summer Vacation

One related area that’s summer-specific: Kids are home for much longer periods, as there’s no school running. Kids should be aware of all of the areas we just went over above, plus a few others: Things like running the fan in the bathroom to prevent mold formation, limiting water usage and other basic themes. Parents should be prepared for the potential reality that this particular summer might last longer from a kids and school perspective than most based on the pandemic still present in our society, and plan to ensure children know their way around basic home plumbing fixtures.

For more on summer themes to limit strain on your plumbing system, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric today.