Summer Plumbing Troubles And How To Solve Them
Summer is a season for barbecues and pool parties. Unfortunately, it is also a season when plumbing problems can arise. Here is a look at some of the primary plumbing problems that seem to pop up in the summer months, along with some good advice for dealing with them.
Tree roots growing into sewer lines
Trees like to have a growth spurt in the late spring and early summer. Once the sun comes out, they can harvest more energy and make more food, and some of that food is used to expand the root system. If you had a few small roots growing into your sewer line in the fall, summer will be the season when they really take off and cause a big blockage. If all of your drains stop working at once, this is likely the cause.
A plumber can come to send a camera into the sewer line to determine the extent of the root growth issue. Then, they can either use an auger to grind the roots out, or they can remove and replace the pipe.
Clogged and seized garbage disposals
With all of those summer parties comes lots of food scraps. If you use your garbage disposal to get rid of many of these scraps, then it may seize up or your drains may clog. You can prevent these issues by limiting what you put down the disposal. Don't put anything fibrous, like corn husks, down there. If your disposal or the associated drain does clog, a plumber can come temporarily remove the disposal, use a hydro jet to clear the drain, and then put the disposal back into place. They can also sharpen the grinding mechanism, which should help limit clogs and blockages in the future.
Blocked washer drains
The drains associated with washing machines tend to get clogged a lot in the summer. There's simply more dirt, pet hair, and other debris that gets washed off your clothes and pushed down these drains in the summer months. To prevent these blockages, make sure there is a mesh trap over your washer hose to catch this debris before it ends up in the drain. If you do end up with a drain blockage, try plunging it. Plunging tends to be quite effective for this type of clog, caused by hair and soap scum, and is safer for your pipes that using a chemical drain cleaner.
Don't let the plumbing problems above plague you! Reach out to a plumbing professional if you have any issues.
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