Plumbing Prep: The Importance of Plumbing Maintenance Before Heavy Rains

As the rainy season approaches in Northern California, homeowners must be vigilant about the potential problems that can arise with heavy rainfall. From increased soil saturation to the greater potential for sewer line backups, the rainy season poses unique threats to your home’s plumbing. Instead of letting heavy rain get the best of your plumbing system, you can get ahead of the issue before you’ve got your hands full with a full-blown plumbing crisis!

If you want to prepare your plumbing system for Northern California’s wet season, learn more about the main signs you need plumbing service before heavy rains, the causes of sewer line backups, and the proactive steps that you can take to ensure your plumbing system is all set to take on the rain.

8 Signs You Need Plumbing Service Before Heavy Rains

One of the most common problems during the rainy season is sewer line backups. Heavy rainfall can be highly detrimental to sewer systems, causing backups that can lead to massive amounts of damage to your home. If you notice any of the following signs of plumbing problems, you’ll want to contact a plumber immediately to solve the issue before heavy rains make it worse:

• Bad Smells & Odors
• Overflowing Sinks & Toilets 
• Gurgling Noises
• Slow Draining
• Mold & Mildew Growth
• Sinkhole Formation
• Insect Activity
• Signs of Structural Damage

What Are the Main Causes of Plumbing Disasters During Heavy Rainfall?

As you prepare your sewer line for heavy rains, you’ll need to know the leading causes of sewer line backups and other plumbing issues so you can avoid them and take steps to address them. Some of the leading causes of sewer line backups and plumbing emergencies during heavy rainfall include: 

1. Tree Root Intrusion and Blockages in Your Sewer Line

While the lush vegetation of Northern California is beautiful and a huge benefit to living here, it can also be a hazard for your sewer line. Tree roots naturally seek out water sources and can potentially invade cracked sewer lines. Once tree roots make their way into your sewer lines, they’ll continue to grow, causing blockages. If heavy rain occurs, these blockages can cause wastewater to overflow into your home rather than pass through the line.

2. Foundational Risks Caused by Soil Saturation

Northern California’s soil composition can change drastically during heavy rainfall, leading to soil saturation and potential foundation shifts. Foundation shifts can impact your home’s plumbing, causing pipes to shift, crack, or become misaligned. If your home’s foundation isn’t prepared to handle soil saturation, you could have major issues with your sewer system during rainfall.

3. A Lack of Preventative Maintenance

If you don’t currently schedule annual inspections of your plumbing system, it’s much more likely you’ll experience a plumbing emergency and blockages during heavy rainfall. For example, you might not know that your plumbing system has cracked pipes, tree roots growing inside your sewer line, or clogs in your pipes. When heavy rainfall occurs, these issues will make it so your plumbing system can’t handle the excess rain, resulting in a plumbing disaster.

Proactive Plumbing Maintenance Steps Homeowners Can Take Before Heavy Rains

Whether it’s scheduling regular plumbing inspections or performing gutter maintenance, you can take steps to ensure you don’t fall victim to Northern California’s rainy season. Learn more about our top preventive plumbing maintenance tips below:

1. Schedule Regular Plumbing Maintenance and Inspections 

Regular plumbing inspections, especially before the rainy season starts, are a surefire way to set your mind at ease when it comes to problems that may arise with your sewer line. After the inspection, a plumber can perform various plumbing services to address any issues they find. Regular plumbing inspections are especially important if your sewer lines are near large amounts of vegetation, as the plumber can check that tree roots aren’t growing in your sewer lines.

If the inspection reveals any clogs or blockages, a qualified technician can assess your sewer line and perform tasks like hydro-jetting to clear out any debris that has built up and could potentially cause a blockage. For tree root intrusion, the plumber will need to clear the tree roots and perform a trenchless sewer repair or replacement service to prevent the issue from reoccurring.

2. Take Time to Clear Your Gutters

Properly functioning gutters direct rainwater away from your home’s foundation, reducing the risk of soil saturation and foundational issues. Making sure that your home’s gutters are clean of debris, leaves, and other potential obstructions will drastically reduce the risk of divergent rainwater.

3. Review Your Landscaping’s Ability to Divert Rainwater

Proper grading and drainage systems can prevent water from pooling near your home. Substantial amounts of gathered water in your yard or on your property can lead to things like sinkholes. Speaking with a professional about any problems early will be much cheaper in the long run than dealing with the issues sinkholes can cause.

4. Check for Foundational Issues Caused by Soil Saturation

It’s a good idea to regularly inspect your property and make sure there have not been any damages to your foundation. If you’re not positive about your foundation’s strength or how well it was designed for soil saturation, you can contact a plumber to inspect your property and give you advice on how to fix issues related to soil saturation.

5. Know Where Your Sewer Line Cleanouts Are Located

In the event of a backup, it is important to make sure that your property has easily accessible sewer line cleanouts. Sewer line cleanouts are spots on your property where the sewer line can be directly accessed from above. During a plumbing inspection, you can work with a professional plumber to identify and mark the locations of these access points on your property. Knowing where these cleanouts are can help you solve plumbing issues faster, as you’ll be able to point a maintenance technician to them as quickly as possible.

Choose Bonney for Plumbing Service and Maintenance in Sacramento

If you’re concerned the rainy season could impact your plumbing and are looking for plumbing maintenance services in Sacramento or the surrounding areas, turn to Bonney. At Bonney, we’ve proudly served the Sacramento region for over 40 years, and our trained technicians would be happy to advise you on any preliminary steps you may want to take in regard to your sewer line. We can also provide various plumbing repair and replacement services, such as slab leak repipes, water main leak repairs, hydro-jetting, and trenchless sewer line repairs.

Learn more about our plumbing services, and review our financing options and coupons to find a great deal on our services. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.