With the warm weather, you’ll be using your sprinklers more. Summer is an excellent time for your annual plumbing inspection and maintenance. You’ll have a lot of extra demand on your plumbing during the summer when water use is the highest. The kids will be home from school during the day, so the toilet will be flushing more, and your sprinklers will be running more. Here are some tips for DIY summer plumbing maintenance.

Grass grows faster during the summer, so you’ll need to mow. Sprinkler heads have a tendency to get clogged with dirt and grass. Cleaning and maintaining sprinkler heads will help keep them from getting stuck and broken. Keep a supply of extra sprinkler heads, just in case of emergency.

Toilets are flushed more  during the summer than other times of the year. Because the kids are home from school, and you may have out of town visitors. With more paper being flushed, your toilet has more chance of being clogged. You can fish out the extra toilet paper with a wire hanger and then push the rest of the clog through the pipes with a plunger. If that doesn’t work, you’ll probably need to call in a professional like John Stevenson, Oceanside Plumber.

When a house is built there is a main drain that runs out to the septic system or sewer. All of the water and waste that comes out of your home goes out this one, main drain. Look around the outside of your home for the “clean out” pipe. It will usually have a cap on the pipe and be next to a sink. This will be your access to your main plumbing. You’ll want to open it and clean out any debris that has accumulated inside.

In your yard, tree roots can cause havoc. It’s astonishing how they can grow into the sewer pipes. If your lawn is squishy and muddy or if your water pressure is low, you may have some issues with a clogged sewer pipe. These types of  problems can be terribly complicated. If you think you have some of these types of issues with your plumbing, it may be best to call a professional, like John Stevenson Oceanside Plumber. Don’t wait too long, the damages may get worse and the costs of fixing the issue, sky rocket.

Check for any dripping water and puddles of water. Check your sewer/septic system. If you smell anything bad or if you see any standing water, it maybe time to call in a professional.

Some summer plumbing issues may be easy to deal with yourself. Some may require the assistance of a professional plumber like John Stevenson, Oceanside Plumber.