What summer plumbing tips should Arizona homeowners follow?

City of Phoenix Water Services recommends you inspect equipment "weekly or biweekly while you are running your sprinkler and drip systems." The city also says outdoor leaks "often go undetected." Here is what to look for:

• Sprinkler heads and drip lines. Broken-off heads, cracked tubing and missing emitters. A working head should pop up or rotate.
• Valves and backflow preventers. The city's rule of thumb is "where there's water, there's a leak." Check for soggy ground around valve boxes. If a part needs replacing on a backflow preventer, the city says that "should always be conducted by a qualified professional."
• Soggy ground or sinkholes anywhere on the lot. The city says these "can be evidence of underground line leaks in sprinkler systems, evaporative cooling equipment, pool equipment or water main lines."
• Abandoned sprinkler zones that are still connected and puddling.
• Pool. The city says "About one in 20 pools leak," and a minor leak of an inch per day "can annually waste up to 100,000 gallons." Our guide to finding a pool plumbing leak explains the bucket test.

EPA's test takes two hours of doing nothing. "Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak." Phoenix also suggests watching the bill: "Unaccounted for month-to-month or year-to-year increases in cost or water consumption units may indicate a leak." If the meter moves with everything off, the water meter leak test shows how to narrow it down, and a leak inside the house or under the slab needs a licensed plumber with leak detection gear.

Phoenix tells residents: "In Arizona's extreme climate, inspect your garden hose for leaks and change washers often." Start with how to fix a garden hose leak. Store hoses coiled in shade and drained, because water sitting in a hose can reach scalding temperatures in the sun; the numbers are in how hot hose and outdoor pipe water gets in a Phoenix summer. If the bib itself drips at the handle or spout, that is a washer or packing fix.

The city's household plumbing guide says exposed pipes, "especially those made of plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are more susceptible to extreme temperatures, leaks and breaks," and that "Our extreme temperatures in both the summer and, occasionally, winter put a toll on exposed plumbing." Its advice: "consider relocating them, insulating them properly or cover them with dirt when practical," and consult a plumber for the work. Look along the side of the house, at irrigation risers and at pool equipment for bare PVC that has gone chalky or cracked.

Phoenix tap water is hard. The city's water quality report lists total hardness of 172 to 302 ppm, or 10 to 17.6 grains per gallon. Scale shows up as crusty aerators, a toilet flapper that no longer seals, and a water heater that rumbles. How hard water damages plumbing, and what a yearly flush does for a tank, are in how hard water damages plumbing and how often to flush a water heater in Phoenix. The heat-side picture, including the water heater setpoint, is in whether Arizona summer heat damages water heaters and pipes.

A floor drain, guest bath or laundry sink that sits unused can lose the water in its trap to evaporation, which lets sewer smell in. Run water into seldom-used drains every few weeks, as covered in why floor drains dry out so fast in Arizona.

Triple-I's advice for a house you will leave: "When away on vacation, shut off the water supply to the washing machine and never leave the house while the washer or dishwasher is running." For a longer absence, shut off the main water, and decide what to do with the water heater using turning off a water heater on vacation. Test the main shutoff before you rely on it; how to test your main water shutoff valve explains. Phoenix notes that "Know where your water shut-off valve is and test it regularly" and that it is usually near a hose bib at the front of the house.

Have the main sewer line scoped and cleared before the storms start. Preventing a sewer backup before monsoon has the checklist, and how monsoon season affects plumbing covers the slab and soil effects.

Call if the meter moves with everything off, a wall or ceiling feels damp, a yard leak will not stop, or an exposed line is cracked. HQ Plumbing and Air runs leak detection and 24/7 emergency calls, licensed and insured, with an upfront price before work starts.