For many families with school-age children, the fall means back to school (in person!). While others may still be relying on learning from home, the fall season still has several implications for both the individuals in the family and the home they’re living in. Plumbing is just one area of your house that will experience some changes once the kids go back to school. Here are some things to watch out for.
Disposal Issues
Are you making more meals at home in a rush between picking up kids and rushing them to practices or activities? Are your kids coming home from school before you arrive and making themselves snacks? Are friends from school having sleepovers or coming by for study time? All of these can lead to more foods (and other materials) going down your garbage disposal. If guests or kids don’t know the rules of the appliance, they may be putting starchy foods, bones, grease, or other no-nos in the sink. This can lead to clogs and degradation of the disposal. Make sure everyone knows what can and cannot go down the disposal and always run your disposal with plenty of cold water.
A Line at Shower Time
Since everyone is now on a similar timeline, the shower is likely getting a lot of use at peak times during the morning and evening. This extra use of the shower can lead to hair clogs and other issues, not to mention a lack of hot water if your hot water heater can’t keep up. Try to develop a schedule for your kids to divide shower time to every other day or have some shower in the morning and others in the evening. This will cut down on clogs, stress on your hot water heater, and arguments!
The Washer and Dryer Go into Overdrive
Now that the kids are going back to school and you’re venturing into the office more, the washer and dryer are going to feel the stress. Laundry tends to pile up in the fall for several reasons. Clothes get bulkier, kids have more dirty clothes due to gym class and sports practices, and changing weather tends to lead to dirtier laundry. Take care of your washer and dryer by not overloading them, using the correct type and amount of laundry detergent, and cleaning out the lint trap on a regular basis. If you haven’t changed your washing machine hoses for a few years, you might also want to check into that.
Water Waste Surges
If you have a few kids in the bathroom all trying to brush their teeth and wash their faces at the same time, it’s likely the faucet will be left on for far longer than usual. This is a huge culprit when it comes to water waste. In fact, it can take up to 12% of your home’s water usage! Encourage the kids to turn the faucet off between wetting their brushes (or faces) and rinsing to cut down on waste.
You have enough to stress about during the busy back-to-school time! Plumbing shouldn’t be one of them. Follow these easy tips to take care of your plumbing and always remember you can call on one of our experts at ASAP if you need help!