Four avoidable summer plumbing problems

At The Plumbing Source, we get calls every day of the year from homeowners who are having some kind of plumbing, heating or air conditioning problem. While some of these are major problems, many are smaller in nature and often very preventable. So in the spirit of helping you keep your summer problem free, here are four common summer plumbing problems that seem to crop up every June or July.

Sump pump quits working. Sometimes sump pumps fail. At other times, debris gets into the sump and prevents the float from activating the switch that turns it on. Or you could have an electrical problem. The only way to know for sure is to have a qualified plumber check the pump on site

It’s a good idea to have your sump pump inspected periodically. It’s an even better idea to have some kind of battery backup in place. Losing your pump in a rainstorm can result in a flooded basement, and that can cost you thousands of dollars in damages.

Given the reasonable cost of a new pump, you might consider getting a new one if yours is more than ten years old.

A clogged toilet. If you have kids and they have friends, your toilet could be getting a workout. Make sure your kids know not to put excessive amounts of toilet paper in the toilet. It’s a go od idea to teach them that only toilet paper should be thrown away into the toilet. We’ve seen clogs caused by baby wipes, adhesive bandages, tampons and even rubber bands. If your toilet is clogged, try to work your magic with a plunger. If that fails, give us a call. Please do NOT put harsh chemicals into your toilet. That can be dangerous.

Blocked garbage disposal. You might be able to fix this with the help of two kitchen-sink plungers. Use one to blog the second drain if you have one, and one to force water and air into the disposal. You may have to take the unit apart to get at the blockage.

Blocked disposals are caused by putting things down the disposal that should go there. Bones, unpopped popcorn kernels, shells from seafood and fibrous vegetables can wreak havoc on a disposal. Keep the bad stuff out of the disposal and you’ll eliminate clogs!

This is such a common problem that we’ll soon do a blog post about how to keep your disposal in great shape. We hope you’ll find that helpful.

Sprinkler system problems. The most common is a damaged sprinkler head that’s been run over by a lawn mower. This one is a bugger! You have to have an eagle’s eye when cutting the grass. It’s obviously better to make sure all your sprinkler heads have retracted as they are supposed to before you climb onto the tractor, but we know most people will tire of inspecting their yard every time they plan to cut the grass. Our best advice is this: be careful! And yes, at least once a month or so, walk the lot to make sure all your heads are down. It’s worth the time if you can avoid a problem.

Summer plumbing problems got you down? Call us! We’re here to help! Call 216-365-0600 during regular business hours, or call our 24-hour emergency hotline at 877-768-7239. We’ll be there in no time. And when you’re on the phone, ask about our summer air conditioning safety check! Don’t wait until your air conditioning stops before having your system inspected.

And remember, when you call The Plumbing Source, you’ve made the RIGHT call!