You're probably aware that, now that spring has begun, it is the start of what is known as the rainy season. April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, one thing you may not be totally aware of is what kind of harm those spring showers can do to your outdoor plumbing.
As the rain falls in your yard, it can collect in your outdoor drains, causing them to rust prematurely. This can also cause a host of other problems, which we'll get to in a moment.
Now more than ever, it is crucial that you have your pipes inspected to assess the state of your entire plumbing system, especially the parts that run outside of your home.
Heavy Rain Can Lead to Collapsed Pipes
One of the greatest dangers of rainfall is that if too much rain falls at once, and the earth is not able to hold it, the earth can become saturated, making it soft, and can shift.
On a large scale, this problem can cause deadly landslides. On a smaller scale, it can cause costly slab leaks under your home.
How can shifting soil cause so much devastation to your home? Well, if the rain makes the soil around your outdoor pipes soft, that soil can shift, creating more pressure on your pipes, which can cause them to break or even collapse!
Why is Your Sewer System Backing Up?
If it's been raining consistently in your area over the last few weeks, and now you find your home flooded with raw sewage that has backed up out of your drains, this is no coincidence.
As we mentioned before, heavy rainfall can collect in your outdoor drains. If this problem is not addressed, or if there is nowhere for the collected rainwater to runoff, it can fill your sewer pipes with more water than they can handle.
If the sewer pipes can't empty to their usual drains, what else can they do but overflow backward into your home? Not only is a sewage backup gross and unpleasant smelling, but it can also fill your home with dangerous bacteria, such as E-Coli, that can make you or your loved ones violently ill.
Plumbing Inspections: Your First Line of Defense
The good news is that if your plumbing is in good shape- if your pipes are sturdy, and your outdoor drains are clear of any extra debris, the problems we talked about here shouldn’t be a concern.
The only way to know for sure if you have anything to fear from the rain this season is to schedule a full plumbing inspection today!
Now that you know how you can prevent severe plumbing issues caused by rain this spring, we want to hear more about your experiences with rain and plumbing. Have you ever experienced any of the situations mentioned in his article?
Tell us all about it in the comments section below. Call Magic Plumbing today at (415) 441-2255 to speak with a professional in San Francisco, CA about plumbing inspections. Let's make it, so the only thing those showers are bringing to your home are flowers!