Is your plumbing ready for summer?

The summer season is fast approaching, and with it all of the amazing activities like backyard barbecues, water fights, and gardening. Like anything else in your home, the plumbing system requires care and attention to function at an optimal level. During the summer, your home’s plumbing will be required to not only provide water for the inside of your home, but for the outside as well in the form of sprinklers and hoses. During the spring or when the weather starts to turn warmer, it’s always a good idea to inspect your indoor and outdoor plumbing systems to make sure they are ready for the season. Let’s take a look at some of the key items you should be keeping an eye on. Hoses and Valves: Hoses provide us with a quick water source that allows for watering the garden and the lawn. What most homeowners don’t realize is that the hose and the valve connected to it are subject to leaking and flooding. Most leaks can be traced back the aging rubber of the hose, but sometimes the issue runs even deeper into the plumbing of the home. To check for leaks go around the outside of your home and turn on each valve to full pressure. If you see water trickling or spraying from the hose then it will need to be repaired or replaced before the problem becomes worse. If the leak is coming from the valve itself than the solution could be as simple as tightening the bolt on the valve or the more expensive option of replacing the whole unit. The Sprinkler System: Some homeowners still employ the use of a hose mounted sprinkler to do the job of watering their lawn in the summer, but the majority of homes now use a sprinkler system to automate the task. In the beginning of the summer before your sprinkler system is calibrated it’s important to check on a few key things, like broken sprinkler heads, debris in the sprinkler heads or any leaks or pooling that could flood the yard.

It’s easy to run over a sprinkler head with your car or even a lawnmower, and even if the sprinkler head doesn’t look visibly broken it can still cause a lot of leakage when the system is under full pressure. Debri in the sprinkler head is easy to spot and can be quickly cleaned by hand or with a small screwdriver. As for leaks and pooling of water in the yard just be sure to keep an eye on your sprinkler system the first couple of times that you use it and make note of any problem areas. Sewer Line: After the ground thaws from winter the pipes underneath your home will begin to expand to compensate for the new temperatures. Sewer lines are designed for repeated use year after year but that doesn’t mean that cracks and problem areas won’t develop, especially during the summer when the kids are home from school and using the facilities much more. Give Jolly Plumbing a call for a complete inspection of your plumbing system. The summer is too short to be worried about your plumbing! We can be reached at 719-473-8545 or through our Contact Us page.