Avoiding Leaky Pipes and Clogs During April Showers
April showers might bring May flowers, but for many they also bring broken pipes and plumbing problems. While spring rains are great for many reasons and lead to beautiful spring blossoms, they can also bring a myriad of problems for homeowners. Rain is often associated with roof damage and leaks, but it can also cause extensive damage to plumbing systems. Here are a few things you should know about heavy rains and what they can do to your plumbing.
Why Should You Be Concerned with Broken Pipes?
Excess rain causes the ground to soften and shift. This shifting of the ground can also cause your pipes to shift and potentially crack. Even without shifting, the extra weight and pressure from the excess water alone can be enough to cause damage to pipes.
These shifts and the increased pressure are especially detrimental for older pipes or pipes that have sustained previous damage. The shifting and water pressure are often too much for them to sustain, leading to a substantial crack or break.
In many cases, these cracks happen under the foundations of your home. Whether it’s a small leak or a massive burst pipe, it can cause significant water damage in your home, and leave you scrambling for repair solutions. A broken pipe is considered a plumbing emergency and should be addressed immediately.
Tips for Keeping Your Sewer System Healthy
Cracked pipes can allow all kinds of debris into your plumbing system, including mud, rocks, sand, pebbles, and leaves. This debris can cause backups of drains and can lead to blockages in your system. The result can be water or sewage backing up in your house.
Not only does this lead to water damage and headaches of all kinds, but it also raises several health and safety issues. You can help prevent these backups by making sure that drains are clear, but storms inevitably produce excess debris that can lead to sewer system backups.
The best way to prevent these backups is healthy pipes and fully functioning drains. The best way to start is with mesh covers over your drains. This keeps debris out and helps avoid clogs. Also, if you’re tired of dealing with constant blockages, opt for annual drain cleaning to keep your pipes free and clear of blockages.
The Benefits of Plumbing Inspection
Sometimes heavy rains create new problems, but often they simply exacerbate existing problems or are the final straw for old or worn pipes. Plumbers are familiar with the damage that rain can cause and know how to help prevent that damage.
The best thing you can do to make sure that your plumbing system is ready for heavy rain is to schedule a plumbing inspection to help identify and repair any existing problems or weaknesses. Call C&D Plumbing, Inc. before the rain comes at (954) 758-8169 to schedule an inspection.
We’ll identify any problems and do the necessary maintenance to ensure that April showers only bring you May flowers this year. If you’ve had personal experiences dealing with heavy rain and plumbing issues, we’d love to hear about them. Please share any such experiences in the comments below.