School’s out, you’ve spruced up the patio, and the ice cream truck has begun its neighborhood rounds—summer is (finally!) here. 🥳 While warm weather adventures and activities are wonderful, they can distract us from critical home maintenance tasks—who wants to stop cannonballing or slurping ice pops to check the sump pump?

Better that than missing out on a bunch of fun when big problems creep up.

It’s a rare plumbing problem that didn’t give a warning sign or two ahead of time. Here are three summer plumbing maintenance tips to do now so you don’t have to put the barbecue (or your vacation) on hold later.

Get a Jump on Your Sump Pump
Unpredictable summer storms can turn downpours into flooding problems. Excess water can find its way into every crack and crevice of the sewer lines, causing costly backups. Take a few minutes to make sure your sump pump is in good order. And if after a storm, you don’t hear your pump turn on or you smell something not-so-fresh—call a professional!

Create A Clean Drain, At Your Disposal
An abundance of fresh produce is one of the best things about summer, but garbage disposals don’t like tough, fibrous fruits and vegetables, like fruit pits, corn, and watermelon. These foods can damage disposal blades and cause tough clogs. Another disposal “don’t”: bones (even small ones) and heavy grease—it congeals when it hits cold water, causing particularly stubborn clogs.

Take A Load Off Your Mind (and Your Washer!)
Summer means more guests, kids home from school, trips to the lake and pool. All those things equal more towels, bed linens, and clothing changes. Use smaller, more frequent loads to lessen wear and tear on your washer and dryer. Also, sand, dirt, and pebbles can catch in swimsuits and towels — make sure you shake before you wash!

For these and any other plumbing problems that might stop the pool party, Just Call Burton @ (402) 343-0011! Our experienced technicians have seen it all—and are always ready to help!

Have a great summer, Omaha!