Tips for Keeping Your Plumbing in Great Shape this Summer

While you don’t need to worry about pipes bursting in the summer, there are still important things for you to do to keep your plumbing working well during the warmer seasons. Summer is a great time to test for leaks in your home’s plumbing, and Calgary’s frequent thunderstorms mean you should also keep an eye on your basement for any dampness. Here are some of the summer plumbing tips for you.

Keeping Your Water Bill Down.

During the summer months, kids and teens can wreak havoc on your water bill. They may be washing their clothes more if they’re playing outdoors or feeling extra sweaty due to the heat. They may also take a cold shower to try and cool off or set up the sprinkler outside to run through. Talk to your family to ensure no one is running laundry loads that are tiny or enormous. You’ll also want to ensure the dishwasher is full when it’s run. If your child want to play with water, try to set up the sprinkler so the lawn or garden will also benefit.

Prevent Basement Flooding.

One of the easiest things you can do to help prevent flooding is to ensure your eavestroughs are cleared. Gutters transport water off the roof and direct it away from the house. However, if they’re dammed up with leaves and branches, water will overflow the eavestrough and land right beside your home, increasing your risk of basement flooding. You can also work with an expert to have interior waterproofing or exterior waterproofing done.

Checking for Leaks.

It feels like we give this particular piece of advice all the time, but we really want to ensure Calgarians aren’t paying for water they aren’t using. In order to check if your home has a leak, choose a time when everyone will be out of the house for at least 2-3 hours. Make sure there isn’t any laundry or other water-using appliance running. Using your smartphone (or your memory!) record the reading on your water metre. When you return to your home after a few hours, make sure the meter has the same reading. If it changed, your home likely has a leak, and it’s time to call in our professional Calgary plumbing team!

Many Calgarians find they have to budget more for water during the summer months. Mostly, this can be attributed to watering the lawn and garden as well as an increase in laundry and showers if you have kids at home. While some increase is to be expected, we want to help Calgarians ensure they’re only paying for water they’re actually using. If you think your water bill is just too high and you may have a leak, contact our expert Calgary plumbers. We’d be happy to answer your questions and help you track down any leaks.