Spring Rain & Plumbing Issues: What You Need To Know
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and April showers give flowers and vegetation the fuel they need to flourish. But behind this idyllic scene lies a lurking issue you may not have thought about: your plumbing.
Excessive rain can cause a glut of plumbing problems if you’re unprepared. Before spring comes, take the initiative. Learn more about potential plumbing problems caused by rain and what you can do to solve them.
Sewer Backups
Due to thawing snow/ice and rain, sewer backups are common during spring. Water in the sewer system is full, and the situation overloads your sewer main. As a result, raw sewage and water may flow out of the toilet, creating an undesirable situation.
Heavy rainfall may make sewer backups unavoidable, but you can take a few steps to rectify the situation. Make sure to get your sewer main cleaned at least once every two years, never pour oil or grease down the drain, and install a backflow valve.
Flooding
When the ground surrounding your home is saturated or hasn’t thawed from the cold, it can’t absorb water. Without anywhere to go, water starts to seep into your foundation, which can lead to flooding in your basement. Furthermore, if you don’t clean your gutters regularly, the hydrostatic pressure can crack the foundation, leading to even more flooding.
To alleviate this situation, regularly remove gunk from your gutters, clean drainage pipes, and install window well covers as necessary.
Slab Leaks
Slab leaks result from pipes bursting or leaking underneath your home’s foundation. As the pipe continues to leak, your concrete starts to absorb the water, which can lead to pools of water in your basement. Excessive rain, especially when the soil becomes saturated, exacerbates the problem. Corroded pipes are also a root cause of slab leaks.
To avoid this situation, avoid corrosive drain cleaners like Drano and have your plumbing inspected regularly. Though slab leaks may be unavoidable, some preventive maintenance can go a long way.
Septic Tank Issues
Heavy rain is the mortal enemy of septic tanks. When rain comes down in droves, it can saturate the ground around your septic tank and seep into the tank itself. When this happens, your septic tank intake can’t handle the plumbing and sewage system load, resulting in a sewer backup or a problematic overload.
The only way to ensure your septic tank can handle heavy rain is to get it inspected regularly and emptied. You should also find ways to seal the riser surrounding your septic tank so heavy rains don’t impact it.
Ease Into Spring with a Visit from a Plumbing Pro
With so much at stake, don’t gamble with your plumbing this spring. A yearly preventive maintenance visit from a plumbing professional ensures that your plumbing system is in tip-top shape while also thwarting any potential for major plumbing problems.
Before the spring showers start, give our San Mateo plumbers a call. At Express Plumbing, we serve the entire Bay Area by providing residential plumbing, commercial plumbing and other services that help prevent plumbing problems from occuring.
Contact us today for an estimate.
