Head Back to School with Plumbing Tips from One Hour Rooter

For busy families with children, back to school is its own season. This time of year, they are busy preparing for another year in the classroom, buying school supplies, new clothes and getting ready for an all-new morning routine. That routine is likely one that is going to rely heavily on your home’s plumbing system as morning showers, making breakfast, packing lunch, and washing school clothes and team jerseys become normal once again. But we have a few tips to help make sure plumbing issues don’t get added to your morning to do list.

Back-to-School Plumbing Tips

Your home’s plumbing system is likely to see an increase in usage as the kids head back to school. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help keep your hectic back-to-school mornings running smoothly.

Set the Temp and the Tempo

First, make sure your water heater is set no higher than 120 degrees F, especially if you have young kids. Turning the heat up won’t help you get more hot water, and it could lead to someone accidently getting scalded. What you can do to ensure everyone gets a hot shower to start the day off is to stagger your showers by 15 minutes. This will give your water a chance to heat back up in between uses. Also try shorter showers or showering at night. If you are still experiencing hot water issues, it may be time to consider upgrading or servicing your water heater.

Run the Fan

We don’t always think about the fan as a crucial element to our bathroom’s plumbing, but it is. It helps to reduce and eliminate moisture and odors. It also helps to circulate the air in the bathroom, reducing the amount of time it takes for the mirror to defog after a shower and keep the room a comfortable temperature. Remembering to run the fan will make it easier for everyone to get done what they need to in the bathroom in the morning.

Run Full Loads

You may find yourself doing more laundry and dishes as your kids head back to school with school clothes, sport uniforms, practice jerseys and everyone needing a healthy start to the day. If that’s the case, you’ll save energy and water by running your clothes and dishwasher only when they are full. Of course, there’s always exceptions on game nights or when there’s no cereal bowls for breakfast. Remember to choose the half-load option when you are in a pinch.

Check Your Hoses

Dishwashers and washing machines both have hoses that can become damaged with age. Just like a drain, build up and debris can get clogged in the hose. If they are made from rubber, they can be prone to cracking. Before you put your washing machines in overdrive with back to school laundry and dishes, you’ll want to check to make sure they’re in good condition to prevent them from leaking and possibly flooding your home.

Fix Leaks & Fixtures

Stay ahead of the game and fix any leaky faucets or failing fixtures before you’re in the middle of the back-to-school rush. Left unattended, little leaks have a way of leading to serious problems or messes, ones you don’t to deal with on a busy morning.  If you know you have a leaky faucet or a showerhead that’s do for an upgrade, take care of them now and make sure your school year gets off to a good start.

Get Back-to-School Ready with One Hour Rooter

Plumbing problem got you stumped? Give the plumbers at One Hour Rooter a call at 612-354-8984 or schedule an appointment online. We’re the Twin Cities trusted plumber, offering quick, capable and affordable plumbing services and we’re happy to help you with whatever plumbing problems you may have.