Summer is the ideal season for outdoor activities we don’t get to enjoy as much during other times of the year. Barbecues, camping trips, and hiking in the great outdoors are some things we enjoy here in Salt Lake City.
Summer also tends to be a season when all of this extra fun tends to be not-so-fun for your plumbing system. The extra demands that summer takes on plumbing can lead to the need for plumbing services.
There’s nothing worse than having your summer plans interrupted by a plumbing issue such as a clogged kitchen sink or a slow-draining shower. Let’s review some common summer activities that can lead to plumbing problems and how to avoid them.
Camping Trips and Hiking
Summer is the ideal time to explore Utah’s amazing outdoor spaces and National Parks. Unfortunately, a lot of the outdoors is brought back inside your home in the form of dirt, dust, and mud.
You may be tempted to rinse dirty shoes, hiking boots, and camping equipment in the shower or bathroom sink, but it’s not ideal. Dirt and mud may seem like small particles that should easily go down the drain. However, the issue is that most drains already have a small amount of buildup from soap scum, hair, and dirt.
These small buildups can attract the mud from your outdoor adventures and lead to bigger clogs or even worse, slow-moving drains or complete drain backups. Instead of using your indoor plumbing to clean up after a camping or hiking trip, use a garden hose to rinse dirty items.
Barbecues and Celebrations
Summer is the ideal time of year for inviting friends and family to a barbecue. It’s also the season for eating certain types of foods that you don’t usually eat at other times of the year. Watermelon, ribs, and chicken wings are delicious, but they can also wreak havoc on your garbage disposal and kitchen drain when they’re not disposed of properly.
Watermelon rinds, corn cobs, cherry pits, potato peels, and bones should never be put down the kitchen sink. Your garbage disposal isn’t strong enough to dispose of these items and could cause damage. A gentle reminder to family members and friends before the barbecue begins is a great way to avoid undesirable items from going down the kitchen sink.
A Bigger Household
With school out for the summer and vacation plans, this is the time of year when your home might be experiencing a surge of demands on your plumbing. The sheer increase in the amount of showers, cooking, hand washing, and loads of laundry and dishes puts additional strain on your plumbing system.
All this extra usage can exacerbate existing problems that you didn’t know you had. For example, that slow drain in the shower might become a complete backup with increased usage. A guest who flushes something that shouldn’t be flushed could cause a toilet clog. Be on the lookout for potential leaks, slow-flowing drains, or not enough hot water to meet the demand.
If the summer fun brings any plumbing headaches to your household, we’re just a phone call away.
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