How Heavy Rain Can Cause Plumbing Issues
Are April Showers Causing Plumbing Issues?
It’s true that April showers are talked about in passing, mostly. As the saying goes "April showers bring May flowers," sure, but for many homeowners, the heavy April rains can be a dreaded experience as they wait to see if their underground plumbing has been effected. Believe it or not, heavy rain can and does affect underground plumbing in a number of ways.
When the flowers are blooming and the plumbing is working fine, then it’s a good time to enjoy the warming weather. In the meantime, check out the following information to get an idea about the impact that spring rains can have on your plumbing.
Overly Saturated Soil Could Be a Problem
Soil can only absorb so much rain before it starts to cause problems with plumbing. During torrential downpours, or when it rains for several days in a row, the weight in the soil moisture can increase pressure on underground pipes. If the soil hasn’t had a chance to dry out, or it is just overloaded with water, it can turn to heavy mud. Sometimes an underground pipe will develop a fissure under the extra pressure, and dirt will work its way into the pipe. This can cause backups and flooding in your basement or around the foundation of your house.
Is the Shifting Ground Causing Slab Leaks?
When there is a leak under the foundation of your home it is called a ‘slab leak.’ This is termed as such because they happen to the pipes underneath concrete slabs, and take more work to get to than ‘pinhole leaks’ such as those found behind a wall. Slab leaks can happen as a result of overly saturated soil, as mentioned above. They can also be caused by other factors such as old, eroded pipes, and foundation movement.
Heavy April rains don’t have to cause weight on your pipes directly to cause a leak. They can also help shift the soil and move the very foundation of your house. A slab leak of this kind occurs when the house foundation moves but the underground plumbing stays in place. As you can imagine, this can easily cause a leak, even if the house doesn’t move much, or you can’t tell that it has moved at all. Since most of the foundation is underground, chances are you won’t know if it has shifted until you start seeing cracks in the walls of your house.
Excess Pressure Could Crack Your Plumbing
As you can see, pipes can become cracked in a number of ways. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell if you have pipes that are particularly susceptible to cracking underground. You can, however, get a professional opinion on your home’s overall plumbing situation.
If your pipes are old or corroded the plumbing technician may suggest repiping, which is the process of replacing all the cold and hot water pipes in a home or building. If you think that sounds like a big job, you’re right. Luckily a skilled team can repipe a home with minimal water interruption and in a timely manner.
Not all plumbing issues or slab leaks require repiping. But, if your house is 50 years or older, you have rust and sediment building up in your water, or you are constantly having plumbing issues, repiping could be the right option.
About Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing
For 30 years the Hansen family has been providing plumbing services in Reno and surrounding areas. Their record speaks for itself, with many satisfied customers that are happy to hire them for any and all plumbing needs. You’ll never have to worry about bad workmanship, poor communication, or sub-par customer service with Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing.