The school year has a way of sneaking up on families. One day, you’re enjoying slow mornings with quiet breakfasts, and the next, you’re juggling backpacks, car lines, and coffee. When your plumbing throws a wrench into the mix, you could find yourself scrambling as you juggle rushed showers, packed laundry loads, and an ever-growing pile of dishes. Little issues turn into considerable delays.
At AZ Family Plumbing, in Glendale, AZ, we know a little planning goes a long way during the back-to-school rush. Start the season with fewer surprises by getting your plumbing ready now.
Watch the Morning Routine for Clues
Your plumbing problems might not appear as floods or loud clanking. Sometimes, they might appear as cold showers, sinks that back up for no reason, or toilets that take two flushes to clear. If you’ve got multiple people trying to shower, brush teeth, and get out the door before sunrise, small plumbing quirks turn into delays.
Start by paying attention to how your bathroom handles traffic. If one sink drains more slowly than the other, there could be a buildup waiting to cause a full clog. If your shower loses pressure when the toilet flushes, there might be deeper balance issues in your plumbing. These aren’t just annoyances. They’re signs that something’s not working the way it should. Back-to-school season gives you a chance to get ahead of those problems with drain cleaning or repairs before your mornings get any more chaotic.
Test the Hot Water Supply Before It’s Missed
Water heaters work harder during the school year. The timing of morning showers often stacks up within a short window, and if your system is older or slightly out of tune, it might not keep up.
Take a few days to notice how long your hot water lasts during the morning rush. If the heat fades after the first shower, that’s a red flag. You might have sediment buildup reducing your tank’s capacity. You might also be due for a flush or a thermostat check. Tankless models can fail, too, especially if mineral scale blocks sensors or flow. Fall is a good time to address these things, not just because of school routines, but because cooler outdoor temperatures will make those cold showers even harder to tolerate.
Inspect Toilets for Leaks and Weak Flushes
A running toilet is easy to overlook. You flush it and walk away, missing the telltale signs that quickly fade into background noise. Unfortunately, that constantly running toilet could result in many wasted gallons of water down the drain every single week. The tank could be leaking into the bowl. Sometimes, the flapper’s worn, or the chain’s loose. All of that worsens with frequent use.
The back-to-school season is the perfect checkpoint. Lift the lid on your toilet tank. Check the water level. Make sure it stops refilling. If you have to jiggle the handle or flush twice to clear anything, your system isn’t working the way it should. That small inconvenience is going to feel a lot bigger when you’re late for a parent-teacher conference or trying to get your kids to the bus. These are quick repairs, but only if you catch them now.
Flush Out Summer Clogs in Kitchen Drains
Between barbecues, summer snacks, and kids home all day, your kitchen drains have seen some things. Then school starts, and suddenly there are lunchboxes to rinse, dinners to prep, and dishes to wash in a tighter window. That buildup becomes a blockage right when you need speed.
Even if your kitchen sink still drains, pay attention to the pace. A slow swirl or a bubble after the water clears indicates a partial clog. And those clogs love to grow. Left alone, they can stretch deeper into your system and affect other drains. You don’t want that to happen on a school night when you’re elbow-deep in dishes and math homework is waiting. Clearing those out now gives your whole kitchen a reset before your schedule locks in.
Check for Silent Leaks Around the House
Some leaks don’t make a sound or leave a puddle. They hide behind walls, under sinks, or around appliances, slowly causing damage and bumping up your water bill. You might spot hints like cabinet stains, squishy flooring near the washer, or damp spots by the baseboards. If you’re not looking for them, though, they’re easy to miss until something breaks.
Fall routines give you a reason to slow down and take stock. When you’re doing back-to-school shopping or reorganizing supplies, take a few minutes to inspect the areas you usually rush past. Check the laundry room floor for dampness. Look behind the toilet for any signs of drips or rust. Run your hand under the sink basin and around the supply lines.
Get Ahead of Laundry Room Overload
Gym clothes, practice uniforms, muddy socks, fall brings a flood of laundry. If your washer drains slowly or makes a strange noise when running, don’t ignore it. It’s not just your washer that could be the problem. Sometimes the drain line that carries water from the machine backs up with lint, detergent buildup, or an issue with the standpipe.
You don’t want to find this out while running a last-minute load of school clothes at 10 p.m. If water ever pools at the base of your machine or takes a long time to drain after a cycle, that’s worth checking. You may need to snake the line or check the trap. It’s also a good time to clean behind the washer and inspect the hoses for bulges, wear, or signs of leakage. These hoses can burst without warning, especially older rubber ones. Swapping to braided steel can make a real difference in preventing laundry day disasters.
Replace or Repair Slow Fixtures Before Homework Season
When kids come home from school, they use the same few sinks, showers, and faucets repeatedly. Whether filling water bottles or washing paint off their hands, those fixtures work overtime in the fall. If a handle sticks, if a faucet squeals, or if the pressure has been slowly declining, those things don’t fix themselves. They escalate under repeated use.
Start with the fixtures you rely on most. Bathroom sinks and faucets that leak from the base often need a worn washer replaced. Showers that take five minutes to warm up might benefit from a diverter valve cleaning. If your kitchen sprayer sputters when you turn it on, check the hose for mineral deposits.
Check Outdoor Spigots Before Cold Nights Return
Fall brings colder nights fast, and if your outdoor spigots are damaged or leaking, those small issues can lead to frozen pipes. Many people forget about their hose bibs once the school year starts. Between school events, sports practices, and weekend errands, your focus shifts indoors. That’s when frost damage sneaks up on you.
Before the temperatures drop too low, inspect each outdoor faucet. Turn them on and see how the water comes out. Then shut them off and check if they’re still dripping. If water keeps leaking or the handle feels wobbly or cracked, something’s off. Unhook any hoses and look at your backflow devices. If your spigots are frost-free, make sure they’re draining like they should.
Prepare Your Plumbing for Back-to-School Season
The routines that keep your household moving need a plumbing system that keeps up. From the morning rush to those late-night loads of gym clothes, little issues add up fast if you don’t take care of them. We also help with water heater repair, drain cleaning, and fixture replacement.
Call AZ Family Plumbing today and head into fall with one less thing to manage.
