The coronavirus pandemic has kept many Los Angeles families at home unable to go to school or work due to stay-at-home orders. Plumbers are essential workers and that’s a good thing because this quarantine has certainly taxed home plumbing systems throughout the region. In this blog post, the Los Angeles area plumbers at T-Top Plumbing, Inc. look at a few reasons home plumbing systems have been so at risk throughout this pandemic.
More Frequent Use of Toilets
It goes without saying that with everyone at home, your home’s plumbing system will be overwhelmed like never before. From what we’ve seen so far, toilets have suffered the most from this overuse. In addition to the more frequent use, the toilet paper shortages observed at the beginning of quarantine led to people flushing substitutes like baby wipes, napkins, or paper towels down the drain. We’ve even seen cleaning wipes being flushed down the toilet after presumably being used to disinfect the toilet bowl or seat. These do not dissolve which has prompted a lot of calls for toilet backups.
Overwhelmed Sewer Lines and Drains
More material is going down sewer lines and drains than ever before. This makes these lines very susceptible to blockages and damaging backups. We’ve been called to many homes where bored little kids are putting things down the drain they shouldn’t be. Be on the lookout for slow drains taking forever for water to go down them. Call a plumber for repairs as soon as you notice changes in your sewer lines. Not doing so will only cost you more money if a repairable blockage becomes a costly backup with other property damage.
Keep an Eye on Your Hot Water Tank
With more people home at one-time, for days to weeks to months at this point, more dishes are being done, more showers are being taken, and more laundry is being done – somewhat surprising considering we can’t really get dressed to go anywhere. Anyone with an older hot water tank may have accelerated it’s previously predicted life expectancy. These older tanks are less efficient. If you’re noticing you’re running out of hot water more consistently, that tank is no longer able to keep up with the demands being put on it.
If you’re concerned about any of the above, contact T-Top Plumbing Inc. today. We’ll have a Los Angeles area plumber to your door to help you as soon as possible. It’s very important right now that you don’t wait too long to get the help you need. With you and your family spending so much time at home, small issues you’re just now noticing can be repairable and spare all of you a more major inconvenience and bill weeks or months down the road. Our team adheres to all California state and CDC recommendations to keep our employees and customers safe through this coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Don’t hesitate to contact us today for a consultation or repair. Let’s keep your home’s plumbing system running at its most optimal through this period of high stress.
