It’s a boiling hot summer, and while you might either be out enjoying the sun or hunkered down at home desperately trying to cool down, the heat brings both good things and bad things. To help you protect your property during the heatwaves, here are some things to watch out for.
We love the heat, but so do bugs. They’ll be everywhere during this season, waiting for you outdoors and following you indoors too.
It’s not just bugs either, rodents and even birds may wander in looking for a place to cool down out of the sun. This is especially likely to happen when we’ve got all our windows and backdoors open to let cool air circulate through the house.
Try to keep your home clean so there won’t be any small bits of food debris to attract pets, they’ll also have less places to hide if you keep the place as decluttered as possible.
For more serious problems like bee nest removal, it may be best to call a professional as you risk being stung.
We’ll be using water a lot in order to cool down and rehydrate. More glasses of water during the day, and maybe an extra shower if we get sweaty from rushing around in the heat. You may also be having fun with pools or sprinklers.
If you go out to the beach or park, try not to bring it home with you. Shower drains can become slow to clear due to the sand, stones and grass that you wash off clogging up the system. Instead, clear off any excess sand from your feet before you get in the shower.
You may also notice bad smells coming from drains where old food stuck down the pipes has been reheated. If this has happened and it’s driving you crazy, try pouring a cup of baking soda, then a cup of white vinegar down the drain, followed by running hot water for a few minutes. Avoid relying on your drains to get rid of food, etc. and instead try to clear most stuff into the bin.
The plastic of exterior pipes can become brittle and start to crack due to exposure to the sunlight and extreme heat. Keep an eye on them in case this leads to leaks later on.
For more on plumbing problems that can happen in summer, check out this blog.
As temperatures soar, the risk of fires both indoors and outside rises. Keep any and all electronic equipment out of direct sunlight. This means phones, iPads, laptops as well as anything that could potentially set alight under searing heat conditions.
Phones and other devices can get hot whilst charging and there’s a risk of fire hazard if left on the flammable material of a bed or pillow. Put them on a table instead, especially if you won’t be nearby to keep an eye on the device.
Be wary of overloading plug sockets too, try not to keep everything plugged in all at once as this increases risk of fire, especially during a heatwave.
You should also make sure that anything that could possibly reflect or magnify heat and light isn’t in direct contact with sunlight. This includes mirrors, any glass ornaments and decorations like crystals. They should be positioned safely, to make sure sunlight can’t bounce off of them and set alight flammable objects like curtains, pillows or any soft fabric furniture.
While you most likely won’t be using any heating appliances much, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any problems hiding within your boiler and heating systems.
Since you’re not relying on the heating, now is a good time to get your boiler serviced. If there is anything wrong, you won’t notice having to go without heating for a bit while it’s getting fixed. Engineers will also be more available at this time of year.
Different seasons cause a heavier reliance on different electrical appliances. While in winter we’ll be turning on lights earlier and might be using electric heating, in summer you may want to have multiple fans or an air conditioning unit/system constantly blowing all day and night.
This excess use of electricity can lead to high bills, as a desktop fan costs 1p an hour to run and a pedestal fan costs almost 2p. It might not sound like much but after a week the figure adds up to an extra £2.87 and if you have multiple fans running constantly throughout the house for multiple family members then it all adds up. Try to turn off any fans that are not in use, and pass the message on to those you share the property with too.
If you have a portable air conditioning unit, these cost 28p an hour to run. Those who have gone to extreme lengths to stay cool by having an air conditioning system fitted are spending 75p an hour to run. This means an eye watering £126 a week.
Keeping cool is becoming as expensive as keeping warm is in the winter, so think twice about how you combat the heat. Be smart and try to do it in an energy efficient way.
To make sure you’re getting the most out of your fans, remember to clean them regularly, as dust can clog them up and stop their effectiveness. This could leave you turning up the power to compensate when all you really need to do is give it a quick once over for optimum coolness.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Enjoy the sun responsibly and if any of the above problems happen to you, try not to get too hot and bothered. At Able Group, we specialise in 7 different trades, so we’ve got you covered.
Just give us a call on 0330 108 4111