Summer in Redmond, WA, brings sunshine, longer days, and increased strain on your home's plumbing. Between hosting guests, cooking more meals, watering lawns, and frequent showers, your pipes and fixtures work overtime this time of year. At Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, we help Redmond homeowners stay ahead of the season's most common plumbing issues with reliable, professional service. From clogged drains to hard water buildup and root intrusion, here are the top plumbing problems we see in Redmond during the summer — and how you can prevent them.
Tough Clogs and Slow Drains
Whether you're hosting backyard barbecues or poolside hangouts, summer tends to bring more activity to your kitchen and bathrooms. That also means more food waste, greasy dishes, and potential plumbing trouble. Grease, oils, and stringy produce often end up in the sink, especially when guests aren't sure where to dispose of leftovers. Once cooled, these materials harden inside your drainpipes and restrict water flow, leading to slow drains or full-on blockages. These common summer foods are some of the biggest culprits for kitchen clogs:
- Grease
- Salad dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Celery
- Fruit and vegetable peels
- Sauces and gravy
Broken Garbage Disposal
Whether you're an expert chef or a casual cook, a garbage disposal is a useful kitchen appliance. A garbage disposal grinds food waste into particles small enough to pass through your pipes. During the summer, more cooking means that you may use your garbage disposal more often. Popular summer foods like corn on the cob, ribs, and watermelon have pieces that can harm your garbage disposal. Partygoers may get rid of cobs, bones, or seeds by throwing them in the disposal. This food waste can break the blades or get stuck. Hot cooking oils and grease can burn the motor. We recommend watching for these signs that your garbage disposal is failing.
- Loud or unusual noises
- Bad odors
- Clogs
- Leaks
- Weak motor
How to Avoid Garbage Disposal Problems
When cooking, don't pour cooking oils, fat, or grease down your garbage disposal. Instead, pour the liquid into an old container, such as a milk carton, and wait for it to cool down. Then, throw the container away in the trash. You can also tell guests to dispose of fruit rinds, stringy vegetables, and bones in the trash. Even small chicken bones can break your garbage disposal. Egg shells, flour, and cooking utensils can damage your disposal, too. Before using your garbage disposal, look in the sink for stray forks, corn cobs, and other hard objects. If you experience problems with your disposal, contact our plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® about garbage disposal replacement or repair. We also offer garbage disposal installation services to homeowners in Redmond.
Mineral Buildup From Hard Water
Redmond's water supply has a moderate hardness level. Calcium and magnesium in the water can build up inside pipes and faucets. This buildup can cause low water pressure, clogs, leaks, and corrosion. You may notice ugly stains on toilets, sinks, showers, and bathtubs. During the summer, you use your plumbing more often. People often shower after coming home from the pool or beach. More guests in your house means heavier use of toilets and sinks. As you use more water, your plumbing fixtures come into contact with more calcium and magnesium in the water. Hard water deposits may build up faster.
How to Avoid Problems Caused by Hard Water
You can avoid hard water stains by cleaning toilets, showers, sinks, and other fixtures more often. Regular maintenance of your house's plumbing system is also important for avoiding these problems. Play it safe and choose Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®. Our plumbers can help you get ready for summer with these services.
- Water pressure fixes
- Faucet replacement
- Shower repair and installation
- Toilet repair and installation
- Drain repair
Root Intrusion on Sewer Lines
Redmond has the perfect climate for gardeners. If you love gardening, then you probably spend a lot of time outside in your yard, cutting the grass and planting flowers. As you work around your yard, you're more likely to spot these warning signs of tree root intrusion.
- Lush patches of grass
- Large mud puddles
- Standing water
- Sinkholes
Inside your home, you may notice multiple slow or gurgling drains. You might smell unusual or foul smells. Insect activity will increase around your drains, too.
How to Avoid Tree Root Intrusion
Tree root intrusion is a common plumbing problem for Redmond homeowners. As tree roots spread, they can wrap around your main sewer line. The roots squeeze the line, which gives water and waste less room to flow through the drain. Roots can also grow through the drain and cause a leak. The line may even break completely. You can avoid these problems by planting new trees far away from the main sewer line. If you have mature trees in your yard, you should routinely inspect them for signs of intrusion. If you spot a problem, you'll want to contact our plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® right away. We can locate and repair the damage with minimal disruption to your home.
Providing Industry-Leading Plumbing in Redmond!
At Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, we're proud to provide Redmond homeowners with excellent customer service. We built our business on an unmatched commitment to integrity. With our on-time guarantee, you'll have peace of mind from knowing that we're there when you need us most. Call our plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® today for more information or to schedule an appointment. Whether you need emergency plumbing repair, repiping, water treatment, outdoor plumbing, or other plumbing services, our skilled team can handle it all for you.
