Top Summertime Plumbing Mishaps

Summer is just a couple of weeks away, making it the perfect time to review some common plumbing problems that come during North Carolina’s hottest months. Instead of ignoring your plumbing until something goes wrong, take a moment to review the following mishaps so you know what to look for—and how to react.

The following are some common summertime plumbing problems:

• Flooding
• Clogged garbage disposals
• Sprinkler issues
• Sewer line backups
• Washing machine breakdowns
• Toilet troubles

Looking for help with a plumbing issue? Call JD Service Now at 919-626-3626 to find out how our Durham plumbers can handle it for you. We’re affordable, reliable, and put your satisfaction first.

6 Summer Plumbing Issues That Affect Durham, NC Homes

Winter isn’t the only season that can present serious plumbing issues. Summer can too, with more rain than you’d realize (especially here in the South), plus higher water and plumbing use by kids who are out of school. Our plumbing experts have some helpful information to share so you know what might happen and how you can prevent these challenges from turning into expensive and messy problems.

These are the top six plumbing issues to watch for in the summer:

• Flooding. Not all Durham homes have basements, but those that do may be prone to flooding during the summer. Spring and summer are typically the rainiest seasons, and if your sump pump stops working, you’ll be facing a serious basement flood. Make sure you keep up with routine maintenance to identify sump pump and other plumbing problems before they lead to flooding.
• Clogged garbage disposals. Kids are home during the summer, and some of the most delicious fruits and vegetables are in season. This can spell disaster for your garbage disposal if you (or your kids) try to dump the wrong things down the kitchen sink. Click here to read more about what you should and should not put down the garbage disposal. If you have a disposal emergency, call our plumbers at 919-626-3626 and we’ll come check it out.
• Sprinkler issues. If you want to keep your landscaping happy as temperatures rise, you’ll need to make sure your sprinklers are working properly. Maybe you’ve set them to go off occasionally or not at all during the winter and spring. Now that summer is approaching, you need to water your lawn, or you’ll be forced to watch it dry out and die. Inspect and clean sprinkler heads and other parts of your home watering system to make sure everything is working properly. You can even talk to your gardener or landscaping company about watering recommendations and maintenance.
• Sewer line backups. They’re messy, stinky, and a major pain to deal with. Unfortunately, sewer line backups are a common summertime plumbing problem, especially in areas prone to thunderstorms and showers. Rain can get into the sewer pipes through cracks and cause backups and other serious issues. Tree roots can also intrude on pipes. If you notice these signs of a sewer line backup, call in a plumber as quickly as possible!
• Washing machine breakdowns. Washing machines get a lot of use during the summer. Kids are home from school, families go on vacation, and swimming and outdoor activities are at an all-time high. This means more laundry. We recommend staying at home while you have a load in the washing machine, just so you can stop the cycle immediately if something goes wrong. You can also move the machine away from the wall to avoid having the hose kink, and avoid overloading your washer, which can cause any of a number of problems.
• Toilet troubles. Again, kids are often home during the summer. This means they’re using the toilet more, and this increases the chances that the wrong thing will be flushed. Even flushable wipes can cause serious clogs. If you have a clogged toilet, you can try plunging it yourself. If that doesn’t work or you’re dealing with an issue like a leak or slow-draining toilet, you can call in a professional from JD Service Now. We’ll make an honest assessment and tell you what it should take to fix it.

Get expert help with any of your summertime plumbing needs from our experienced technicians. We’re licensed, insured, and trusted by customers across Durham, Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, and the surrounding communities for getting the job done right. Contact our Durham plumbers today!