Seasonal Plumbing Problems

If you’ve had more than your fair share of winter plumbing problems such as frozen, burst pipes or your water heater breaking down, you probably don’t want to hear how the other four seasons have their fair share of potential seasonal plumbing problems as well. It’s fair to say that in Canada, winter likely comes with the majority of worrying plumbing problems. However, spring and summer are more troublesome than some know.

Spring often comes with a lot of rain. With rain, can come flooding. After the Great Calgary Flood a couple years back, we’re sure we don’t need to tell you what a pain that can be. Flash thunder storms with lots of rain can also cause sewer lines to back up. However, spring has other tricks up its sleeve. For example, winter can often damage and bust exterior water fixtures, but it won’t be until spring that the damage becomes obvious. If your exterior fixtures weren’t insulated and drained properly, there may be problems just waiting for spring.

Summer is the time of year where we see the most clogged garbage disposals, washing machine problems, and more. The typical Calgarian summer food of steak, potatoes, corn, and watermelon is actually the cause for clogged disposals. Many homeowners dump the corn husks and watermelon rind directly into the disposal. These large items are just going to cause problems. It’s best to throw them directly into the garbage or better yet the compost!

If you have kids or grandkids home for the summer, you’ll likely see a spike in laundry. If your kids do their own laundry (good for you!) but aren’t sure how to sort properly, it’s likely that summer time will be when your washing machine needs a repair. The extra laundry from climb trees and playing in the dirt means more loads and more chances for something to go wrong.

Another kid-relate plumbing incident that increases over summer is clogged toilets. Be sure to explain how much toilet paper they need and if you’re having repeat incidents, maybe make a line on the wall for a visual reminder.

Our final plumbing problem seen most during the summer makes a lot of sense: sprinklers. They aren’t on all winter nor most of spring or fall, so of course they’re going to break down during the summer. The best way to avoid this is to have any embedded sprinklers inspected and cleaned before starting them up.

No matter the season, there will always be something that can go wrong. Fortunately, Calgary’s plumbing paramedics will always be there solve any seasonal plumbing problems! Call us today at (403) 452-2911.