With summer now upon us, we can all expect to encounter heavy rain from time to time. When faced with heavy rain, your plumbing system can become damaged. With that said, the folks here at Steve Mull Plumbing want to take this time and share some important insight on how the outdoor elements, and especially heavy rain, can impact the plumbing in your home.
The Impact Heavy Rain Has on Your Plumbing System
There are a number of ways heavy rainfall can impact your plumbing system. Here are a few of the damaging effects to be on the lookout for.
- Excessive pressure on your plumbing pipes – The heavy summer rains easily saturate the ground causing the sand adjacent to your plumbing pipes to become very muddy. When this mud is formed, it places excessive pressure on your plumbing pipes which can, over an extended period of time, lead to a number of plumbing issues.
- Shifting, movement and even rupture of underground pipes – When rain causes the soil near to your underground plumbing pipes to become very soft additional pressure is added to the plumbing pipes. When this occurs, the pipes can shift, move and, if the pipes are manipulated into uncommon positions, they can actually rupture as well.
- An overworked sump pump – When heavy rains cause the ground to become extremely saturated all that excess water has to go somewhere. If you happen to have dry ground most of the time that is permeable, then your worries are none. However, if your property soil is already wet and saturated typically, then the excessive rain will start to accumulate and puddle on your foundation. As the accumulation continues, you will see that the excess water will ultimately make its way into your basement or your crawl space and can even lead to flooding, especially if you do not have a sump pump installed. If you do have a sump pump the excess water will be directed to the pump causing the sump pump to activate and remove all the water. Be sure that the sump pump installed is an adequate size for your home in order to ensure that it can work properly and effectively no matter how much rain may fall.
- Blocked pipes – If your plumbing pipes consist of holes, cracks or leaks, should a rupture occur, dirt and other particles and debris will make their way into the pipes. Over time this will cause the pipes to become blocked. When a blockage occurs, water can begin to back up underground and can even cause back up and water flow into your basement or crawl space.
- Flooding in your basement or crawl space – Excessive amounts of heavy rain can cause flooding in a basement or crawl space if there is no sump pump installed at your home.
In addition, if you have a blocked pipe the same rain can cause flooding. If flooding occurs, be sure to take care of the issue immediately since not doing so can result in a number of other issues for your foundation and home. If you allow the water to stand for an extended period of time, you will find yourself faced with a mold infestation or even an infestation of not so pleasant termites or pests. Once you have removed the flood waters from the structure, use a dehumidifier to dry out the crawl space or basement so as to avoid harmful air quality issues.
Bottom Line
Heavy rain can certainly wreak havoc on your home plumbing system. With that said, we hope you have found this data useful. If you find yourself faced with plumbing problems of any kind, rest assured we are the team for you. Our team of highly skilled and experienced plumbers is committed to providing only premier plumbing services to all our valued clients. Whether you are faced with damage as a result of heavy rain or are simply experiencing any other type of plumbing problems, give a shout out to one of our team to schedule your service appointment today. We look forward to our every opportunity to serve you and stand ready to provide you with the highest quality plumbing parts and services this side of the state. For all your plumbing needs, trust the pros here at Steve Mull Plumbing. You’ll be more than glad you did.
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