When the seasons change, they bring about more than just a change in temperature. The passing of seasons actually has an effect on your plumbing. Unfortunately, this effect is often negative. Preventing spring plumbing issues starts with understanding them. It continues with knowing how to respond to the most common problems. This article will cover all of this information.
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Why Spring Can Cause Plumbing Issues
While any time of year can witness plumbing problems, spring presents more than a few problems. Changing temperatures, plant growth, and more rain are all features of spring that cause problems. This leads to more plumbing issues in the spring than in most other seasons.
Excess Rain
Spring usually means more rain begins to fall. While this is great for jumpstarting the growth of plants, it can lead to overwhelmed sump pumps and other plumbing issues.
Root Infiltration
The change in seasons kickstarts growth in plants. Trees get back their leaves, flowers bloom, and life is generally prospering again. Unfortunately, these plants have root systems that can find their way into your plumbing.
Mud or Sand
Spring is often the muddiest season. Freshly thawed ground combined with excess rain means much mud will be outside.
Too much mud or wet sand can clog drains. Any outdoor drains you have are particularly vulnerable to ending up caked with mud or sand.
Changing Temperatures
In spring, the temperature can fluctuate a lot. Some days will be warm, while others will be cool.
Changing temperatures mean that the ground expands and contracts. This can shift the ground itself, which upsets pipe systems.
Most Common Plumbing Issues in Spring
If you’re curious about the most frequent plumbing issues, you can put your curiosity to rest. In this section, we’ll discuss some of the most common plumbing problems that arise during different seasons and provide guidance on how to handle them.
Water Pressure
In spring, pipes are exposed to damage. This can cause old pipes to spring a leak or wear out in a way that damages them. If water leaks occur, the water pressure is affected. You may find that your home isn’t getting adequate pressure because that pressure is leaking out somewhere in the pipes.
A professional can fix most water pressure issues. They’ll have your system running like normal in no time.
Sump Pump
It rains more in the spring. More rain means that sump pumps have to do more work. In some cases, the extra work will fry a sump pump entirely or cause it to experience some other issue.
Sometimes, your sump pump can be fixed by a professional. It may just be that a little sump pump maintenance is required. However, in the case of old or seriously damaged sump pumps, the repair usually isn’t an option. You may need to have the pump replaced entirely.
Drainage
Excess rain in spring causes more than a few spring plumbing issues. If the drainage in your home’s yard is off, it can pool up around the base of the house. This can lead to flooding or cause problems with the home’s foundation.
Fixing this requires addressing the cause of the problem. This may mean fixing improperly draining pipes or changing how your gutters redirect water. A professional will be able to guide you through the process of eliminating drainage problems.
Plumbing Damage
As mentioned, changing spring temperatures expose your pipes to damage. This can lead to burst pipes, cracks, and any number of other issues.
When this happens, the system will need to be repaired. In most cases, this requires the assistance of spring plumbing services. A professional plumber can determine the cause of the problem, which is often a job all on its own, and then go on to fix it.
Gutter Obstructions
Over the winter, dead branches may pile up alongside fallen leaves in your gutters. However, you won’t notice it immediately because it isn’t raining yet. Then, new growth in the spring will add to the issue. This, combined with spring showers, will result in water spilling out of your gutters in ways that can damage your home.
Luckily, this issue is relatively easy to fix. A simple gutter cleaning can remove the obstructions and get the gutters working normally.
Leaks
Leaks can appear at any point in the entire plumbing system. One can form in the middle of a pipe. Another can appear at a connection between two pipes. Still more can appear on plumbing fixtures, like the hose bib.
No matter where they are, leaks are bad. Professional water leak repair will prevent the leak from wasting excess water and keep the plumbing system working properly.
How Fenwick Can Help With Plumbing Issues
Getting your home’s plumbing through the spring season can be like walking through a minefield. But taking care of spring plumbing issues can set you up for an easier summer. Luckily, you don’t have to go through this troublesome time alone. Fenwick is here to help.
At Fenwick, we offer a variety of helpful plumbing services. We offer them with our money-back guarantee in a straightforward way that comes with no surprises. These features, alongside our ability to handle any problem, make us impossible to beat. So, if you’re in need of Spring plumbing repair services, make sure to call Fenwick and schedule your appointment today.