The Sydney summer is a time of scorching temperatures, extreme weather conditions, and the need to be proactive in your plumbing care, wherever you are in Australia’s largest and most populous city.
Fortunately, The Relining Company has composed the Sydneysiders’ essential summer plumbing checklist. We’re local, like you, so we know exactly how summer hits our city, as well as how to prevent the most common plumbing problems from becoming major (and expensive) issues.
What is Sydney Weather Like During Summer?
With the hottest summer days exceeding 40 °C and a total rainfall of 389 mm over the 2023–24 summer, Sydneysiders need to have a plumbing plan in place to offset these extreme weather conditions.
Whether it’s your supply of cold water, your hot water tank, or preventing burst pipes in your sewer system, understanding Sydney’s weather conditions can help you pre-empt and overcome plumbing issues before they cause a problem.
Why Summer Can Be Tough on Plumbing Systems
Sydney has two key reasons why summer can be tough on its plumbing systems. First, its population is enormous and larger than anywhere else in Australia, with 5,500,000 people calling the city home. Secondly, Sydney is Australia’s oldest city and much of its infrastructure remains decades or even over a century old.
This means, in summer, when a huge population sharply increases its demand for water, an ageing infrastructure has to supply it, which can naturally cause problems to develop. Add in the ferocious summer storms that Sydney is known for, and pre-empting plumbing issues goes from a recommendation to a requirement.
Common Summer Plumbing Problems in Sydney
Pipe Leaks and Bursts
Aging pipes and high user demand can put pressure on pipes beyond their tolerances. While they may hold up initially, after years or decades of facing this high pressure, pipes can leak. This is particularly true for older Sydney homes. A combination of the summer heat and high water pressure can lead to leaks or bursts over time.
Blocked Drains and Sewage Backups
Leaves, twigs, dust, dirt and other debris can lead to clogged gutters and down pipes, causing slow drains and eventually localised flooding. Additionally, if you don’t have rubbish disposal in your kitchen, food scraps down the sink can cause a similar blockage.
Hot Water System Strain
Despite most of us opting for cooler showers over the summer months, an increased frequency and longer periods spent washing (as well as washing clothes in the washing machine) means we may be using more hot water in summer than in winter. High temperatures can also put extra strain on the internal circuits of your system as metallic components expand and contract more than normal.
Practical Tips to Prevent Summer Plumbing Issues
Inspect and Maintain Your Pipes
The first and best way to keep your home’s plumbing system working as it should be is to regularly inspect and maintain your pipes. Pipes can become blocked for several reasons, but a good DIY fix is to pour baking soda down the blocked sink, followed by an equal amount of vinegar. You may even perform this environmentally friendly maintenance as a prevention tool before you notice a blockage.
If the baking soda/vinegar mix does not work, try commercial drain cleaners; however, if the drain remains clogged, call in a professional plumber. Some blockages cannot be unclogged using liquid solutions, such as physical obstructions like tree roots inside the pipe.
Keep Gutters and Drains Clear
Keep your gutters clear by regularly removing leaves and sticks before they get washed down your pipes. Next time you’re looking at your gutters, note the dirt and grime that congeals around and beneath the leaves and take care to flush this away with clean water as well, as build-up over the years can also cause blockages to occur. One preventative measure is to use a specially designed gutter mesh to prevent debris from entering the gutters.
Manage Water Usage
While we have some incredible downpours during our summer storms, the fact remains that all Australians should stay mindful of how much freshwater they are using. Conserve our most precious resource by fitting water-efficient shower heads, taps, and garden hose nozzles. Time your showers, how often you use your sprinkler system and fix any leaking taps to save on your next water bill.
Prepare for Summer Storms
Summer storms can bring torrential rain, enough to come pouring back out of burst pipes or blocked drains. Check your home for any leaking pipes before storm season, make sure there are no clogged toilets, sinks, or drains, and check that your sewer lines are running without issue or impediment.
When to Call a Professional Plumber
While there are a few DIY issues, most of the damage occurs where we can’t ordinarily see it. The pipes in our walls, beneath our floors, and leading underground out into the street to the water mains can all contain hidden damage, unknown to us until summer comes full swing and heavy rainfall puts the integrity and strength of our plumbing and sewer lines to the test.
While trying DIY efforts is recommended, the only way to become fully aware of potential problems beneath your feet is to call in a professional plumber for an underground pipe inspection using CCTV imaging to map and examine your subterranean plumbing issues.
Using a pipe camera means we can check for minor blockages before they completely seal off the pipe, we can check for the presence of intruding tree roots and can also provide an overall report on the health of your sewage lines. Taking the initiative on the health of your plumbing is about more than just maintaining adequate supplies of water, it can help save on your water bill too. Underground cracks or leaks can spill enough water to seriously impact your water bill, all without you knowing it.
Find a reputable company that specialises in CCTV inspections of underground pipes in the Sydney area. Local knowledge is invaluable in the historical web of Sydney’s architecture, and the plumber you choose should be comfortable working with plumbing put down last year and laid down decades ago.
Get Your Plumbing Sydney Summer Ready
If you’re facing any of the common plumbing problems described above, call in a licensed plumber from The Relining Company to help get your plumbing sorted before summer. Even a small leak can become a major issue if it is ignored long enough, and the potential for issues like low water pressure, unpleasant odours, and potential water damage can turn the summer months from fun to frustration.
Book a plumbing inspection with The Relining Company today to make sure your Sydney plumbing is in top shape for the festive season. That way you can enjoy all the fun and sun with family and friends worry-free, and most importantly, without Sydney’s weather causing you frustrating plumbing problems.
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