If you live in Northern California, you know how rainy it can get during our wet season from October through April. While you might enjoy the rain, your plumbing system doesn’t, as heavy rainfall can lead to several problems with your home’s plumbing. For example, the wet season often brings a greater chance of sewer line backups and a higher risk of soil saturation that can damage your pipes.
Fortunately, you can prepare your plumbing system for heavy rains by knowing the main signs you need maintenance, the primary causes of plumbing issues during heavy rains, and the main maintenance tips you should follow to prepare for the wet season.
Part of preparing for heavy rain is fixing problems already affecting your plumbing system. Since heavy rainfall can worsen existing issues, you’ll want to immediately contact a plumber if you notice any of the following signs that your plumbing system needs an inspection or repair:
Alongside watching for signs of plumbing issues, homeowners should know the main causes of plumbing disasters during heavy rainfall. By knowing the main causes, you can be better equipped to stop and address them. Review the main causes of plumbing emergencies during heavy rainfall below:
When heavy rainfall occurs, the soil composition around your Northern California home can change a great deal, causing soil saturation. This soil saturation can lead to your foundation shifting, which can cause your pipes to crack, shift, or move out of proper alignment. Without a strong foundation designed to handle soil saturation, your plumbing system could be significantly harmed during heavy rain.
Though heavy rain can give your home’s vegetation the water it needs to thrive, it can also cause tree roots to grow faster and affect your sewer lines. If your sewer lines are cracked, tree roots will find their way inside as they search for water and other nutrients your wastewater provides.
Once these tree roots enter your sewer line, they won’t stop growing, leading to sewage blockages. While you might not notice this blockage at first, it can prevent waste from flowing through your lines. If the waste can’t pass through your sewer lines, it will flow back into your home, resulting in a major mess and costly water damage.
Without regular inspections and preventative maintenance, your plumbing system will be much more likely to experience issues during heavy rainfall. For instance, you could have tree roots growing inside your line, rusted-over pipes, or large clogs that will impact your plumbing system’s performance during heavy rain. By neglecting plumbing maintenance and inspections, your plumbing system could struggle to handle the excess rain, and you’ll be at a much higher risk of a plumbing disaster.
From scheduling regular inspections and performing gutter maintenance to checking for foundational issues and reviewing your home’s landscaping, you have plenty of ways to prevent heavy rain from negatively affecting your plumbing system. As you get your plumbing system ready for heavy Northern California rains, review our top four preventive plumbing maintenance tips below:
Part of protecting your plumbing system is preventing rainwater from affecting your foundation. Normally, the gutters around your home accomplish this goal by moving water away from your foundation to reduce the risk of foundational damage and soil saturation. If you want your gutters to perform at their best, you’ll need to regularly remove any leaves, debris, and any other obstructions from your gutters. Doing so will reduce the chance of divergent rainwater affecting your foundation and plumbing system.
Another easy way to protect your plumbing system from heavy rainfall is to schedule regular plumbing inspections before the rainy season. Once a plumber fully inspects your pipes, they can fix any issues that could impact your system’s performance during heavy rain. For instance, a qualified plumber can perform pipe cleaning services if they find a blockage or perform a trenchless sewer repair if they spot tree root intrusions in your sewer line. This maintenance will ensure your plumbing system can perform at its best and prevent costly damages.
Since damage to your home’s foundation from soil saturation can harm your pipes, it’s best practice to check your home’s foundation every once in a while for changes. Most people aren’t experts at spotting issues with their foundation, so you’ll likely want to have a plumber inspect your property and check for damage. After their inspection, they can likely advise you on solutions for soil saturation issues.
When your property has functional drainage systems and proper grading, you won’t have water pooling in your yard. However, improper landscaping can cause water to pool and sinkholes to form during heavy rain. If you notice pools of water in your yard after heavy rain, you’ll want a professional to install new drainage systems and regrade your yard. With a properly landscaped yard, you can protect your plumbing system from sinkholes that could damage your pipes.
If you’re concerned the rainy season could impact your plumbing and are looking for plumbing maintenance services in Vacaville, Novato, or the surrounding Northern California area, turn to Peter Levi Plumbing Heating, Cooling and Drains. Once you contact us, our trained plumbers will be ready to inspect your plumbing system, perform any required maintenance, and give you advice about how you can better protect your system from heavy rain. You can also review our coupons to ensure you receive a great deal on our services.
Learn more about our plumbing services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please fill out our online form or call us at 800-605-5713.
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