The Top Summer Plumbing Disasters

More often than not, we find that homeowners don’t pay much attention to their plumbing system until they need to call for plumbing services in Las Vegas, NV. That’s understandable—it’s kind of an “out of sight, out of mind” situation. For this reason, our mission at Orchard Plumbing this summer is to educate people about keeping their plumbing systems from failing. Follow these tips and save yourself from having to call a plumber this summer.

Clogged garbage disposal

Garbage disposals can handle a lot, but they shouldn’t be used as a catchall. A garbage disposal should never be used as a substitute for a trash can—always be mindful of what goes down your drain. Here are a few things that should never go down your kitchen sink:

• Grease: Dumping leftover cooking grease down the drain is the leading cause of garbage disposal problems. The grease starts as a liquid, but it eventually hardens and turns into a solid. When that happens, the blades can’t turn, and your disposal is useless. Put leftover grease in a coffee can or similar container and toss it in the trash.
• Coffee grounds: Though they’re small, coffee grounds should never go down your kitchen sink. The grounds tend to clump together over time and can eventually break your disposal. Toss them in the trash and you’ll save yourself a big headache.
• Large leftovers: Tossing leftover meats and veggies down the drain can be tempting after you’ve made a barbecue dinner. However, that’s a big no-no! Your garbage disposal can only handle small scraps. Be sure to throw any leftovers in the trash can instead.

Washing machine issues

The last thing you want is to spend all of your time at a laundromat this summer because your washing machine is broken. Follow these rules to keep your washing machine working as usual:

• Oversized loads: Letting your laundry pile up and washing it all in one big load is easy and saves you from spending too much time washing your clothes. However, that’s not always the best approach to take. Loads that are too big are more likely to break your washer, and they’re not good for the dryer, either.
• Overuse: On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are the folks who use their washer too often. Big families tend to use the washer and dryer on a daily basis—that’s not ideal. Overuse wears your machine down faster and also wastes a lot of water. Work on finding that perfect balance between overuse and waiting too long to do your laundry.

Clogged toilets

A clogged toilet is quite possibly the worst plumbing issue you can encounter. It smells bad and can necessitate a call to the plumber. These are the leading causes of clogged toilets:

• Too much toilet paper: Using toilet paper after going to the bathroom is necessary, but make sure you watch how much you use. Toilets can only handle so much toilet paper at once before clogging up.
• Flushing anything that’s not toilet paper: There are a lot of products that are advertised as being “flushable.” Unfortunately, this is misleading. The only things that are flushable are toilet paper and your waste! Make sure everyone in your household, especially your kids, knows this rule.

Following all of the advice above is sure to help prevent any plumbing issues this summer. Should any trouble arise, be sure to call Orchard Plumbing for professional plumbing services in Las Vegas, NV. We’ll correct any plumbing problems and get your system back to normal as soon as possible.