With the clear blue sky and plenty of heat, people are heading to the beach in droves. Others are planning their barbeque and parties ready to kick off Australia Day for 2019. With so many things to do during these hot summer days, we also are making preparations on our property to handle the harsh Australian Summer.
One preparation that you need to make is to check on your plumbing system. This may take you away from the festive mood of the summer days but I bet you would not want to spend your summer time wallowing in sewage when you have a blocked drain or when your appliance breaks down and cause a water leak.
So Here Are 5 Plumbing Tips To Prepare You For Summer
1. Check your Washing Machine and its Drainage System
Summer days mean a lot of days spent at the beach, lots of days staying outdoors in the sun and lots of physical activities. This would mean a lot of laundry to be done. Your washing machine, therefore, is one of these appliances that is mostly used during these times. So it would be good to check on your washing machine to see if it’s working properly.
Check if the hoses and pipes that connect to the drainage system have no leaks or cracks. You would not want to spend the hot summer days with a broken washing machine and no way to wash those sweaty clothes.
2. Clear your Gutter and Drains of Litter and Debris
The hot summer breezes and warm weather have brought in a lot of litter from falling leaves, twigs and branches all accumulating on your gutter/roof and drains.
It would be best to Clear your Drains and gutter before they cause your downpipes and drains to clog up and block. A flooded backyard and garden is definitely not something you want to happen during a summer storm.
Question:
When my drains get blocked, what equipment does my plumber use to unblock it?
Answer:
Over the course of 35 years The plumbing & Electrical Doctor uses top grade equipment such as:
- Drain CCTV
- Electric Eel
- Water Jetter
- Drain Chemicals to Prevent Further Tree Roots Invasion
3. Check your Taps and Pipes for any Leaks
The colder months can put stress on taps and pipes especially those located outdoors. These garden taps and pipes see also most used during the hot summer days so checking for their integrity and possible Pipe Leaks and Cracks is a good thing to prevent any water leaks from happening or burst pipes from occurring.
While you’re at it, check also your sprinklers if they are still functioning well. They would definitely get more extended usage during the hot summer days.
4. Check your Gas Barbeque and Gas Stoves and Pipes
Summer means a lot of time preparing food outside and using your gas BBQ. It would be a good precaution to make sure that your gas BBQ is working perfectly. Check the gas hoses and pipes for any possible leaks or damage. You can also do the soap test by placing soapy water on the hose and pipes and checking if any bubbles would form which would indicate a possible leak.
Check also if your gas cylinders are still within the specified valid dates. Also, since the festive holidays mean a lot of people inside the house and a lot of time preparing food inside the kitchen, checking on your gas stove is one good measure. You can do the same soap test on your gas stove hose and pipes to check for any possible gas leaks.
5. Check your Toilet and Cistern
Summer entertaining means a lot of people visiting and staying at your place. Checking that your toilet and cistern are working properly is crucial so as to prevent any uncomfortable situations with a blocked toilet happening during the festive season.
Check the flexible hoses underneath the toilet for any possible leaks. Or you can do the food colouring test by simply putting a few drops of food colour inside the cistern and checking if it appears on the toilet bowl. Food colour appearing in the toilet bowl is an indication of a leak in your toilet system.
Here is another article that you may find interesting in regard to “Fire Safety in the Home“.
If you got any Plumbing Problems that you needed to be fixed this summer season, don’t hesitate to call us at 13 10 91 to fix the problem right away. We serve areas in Canberra, Newcastle, Central Coast, Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie, and Port Stephens.
At The Plumbing and Electrical Doctor we have made these articles downloadable to PDF for our customer’s convenience.
THE DOCTOR GETS IT DONE