Can April Showers Bring May Plumbing Issues?
As warmer weather finally melts away the last signs of a Minnesota winter, we begin to see the signs of spring. Longer days, warm sunshine, budding plants, returning birds and rain, sometimes lots and lots of rain. The rhyme goes April showers bring May flowers, but in the plumbing industry, we know that excess water can bring a few other things as well.
Rainy Season Plumbing Issues
Spring floods are very common, especially in Minnesota where the ground is already saturated from melting snow. The soil around your home can only absorb so much water before any additional rainwater has no place to go. This heavy, saturated soil water along with excess flood water can lead to a few serious plumbing issues.
Shifting Foundation
When the soil gets over saturated it can swell up around and under the home, causing the foundation of the home and everything that’s attached to it to move including the walls and pipes. Pipes are not designed to move. It weakens them, making them more susceptible to cracks. Signs of cracked pipe under you foundation to watch for include the sudden appearance of wet spots on the floor, an unexpected jump on your water bill, and decreased water pressure. If you are experiencing any of these, it’s important to get a plumber out to your house as soon as possible. A slab leak from a shifted foundation could involve a total home re-pipe or pipe re-lining.
Flooded Basement
When rain starts pouring and the soil can’t hold any more, it still has to go somewhere. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s your home. A working sump pump is a must to keep this water from flooding your home. Make sure you check your sump pump every spring. Even if it’s doing a fine job of pumping away all that rainwater, it could be putting extra strain on your pipes. Watch for signs of worn down or weakened pipes due to increased water pressure due to an overworked sump pump. Overtime these weak points could crack or burst and may need to be replaced.
Cracked or Burst Pipes
We typically think of bursting pipes as winter problem, but the damage done by the cold might not show itself until Spring. When cold temps come in contact with your pipes, they can contract or even freeze, causing tiny cracks. As the weather warms and the pipes begin to expand, the tiny cracks also expand. Rain-soaked soil is also very heavy. It can put extra stress on your underground pipes, causing them to quite literally, crack under the pressure. Signs of a leak include low water pressure, dripping noises, standing water, a musty odor or an increased water bill.
Slow Drains & Sewer Backups
Heavy, rain-soaked soil not only puts pressure on the pipes bringing water to your home. It can also affect the ones leading it away to the sewer, resulting in slow moving drains, backed up sinks and toilets, and even sewer water leaking into your yard. This time of year, pipes are also more susceptible to cracks and blockages caused by plants and tree roots springing back to life thanks to the warmer weather. Watch for slow emptying drains, gurgling sounds coming from toilets and floor drains, frequent unexplained clogs, soggy indented patches of grass on your lawn and bad odors.
Spring into Action with One Hour Rooter
Don’t let spring showers lead to a major plumbing problem in your home. The Minneapolis plumbers at One Hour Rooter a will get your plumbing system in shape for spring. Give us a call at 612-354-8984 or schedule service online and our professional, courteous Minneapolis plumbers will be there to check your pipes, drains, sewer lines and sump pump to make sure your water and waste keep moving this spring.
