Does Hot Weather Affect Plumbing?

No one thinks about how much the summer heat can affect your plumbing. Unlike winter, you can see how cold weather can easily impact your plumbing. However, you would be surprised by what the heat can do to your plumbing.

Many plumbers see firsthand how intense heat can affect the plumbing in people’s homes. After all, they’re usually fixing a plumbing issue from it!

Learn how heat can affect your plumbing, so you’re prepared for it when summer is here!

How the Heat Affects Plumbing

We are not immune to heat. The same can be said of your pipes during the summer – especially during intense heat waves! Such heat can create sudden stress on your plumbing. Like winter, sudden and severe temperature shifts can create unexpected problems for your pipes.

Yet, how do high temperatures affect your plumbing pipes?

One factor to consider is what kind of pipes you have at home. If you live in an older home, your plumbing is most likely made up of old metal pipes. These metal pipes tend to expand once temperatures are incredibly high, leading to them losing structural integrity.

As a result, the heat can cause your pipes to break or leak. You can get this sudden collapse would not be fun to deal with as the burst would most likely have water spraying everywhere.

Indirect Ways Heat Affects Plumbing

Knowing how heat directly affects your pipes is instrumental in preventing plumbing problems from occurring. Yet, there are several indirect ways your plumbing is affected by relentless summertime heat. You might be surprised by what they are and how it all relates.

Higher Water Usage

During the summer, all you want to do is cool down. Naturally, you will be using water a lot more than usual to do so. In turn, this sudden demand for more water creates more stress on your plumbing.

You might not realize it at first, but you use up a lot of water during the summer from either filling up swimming pools, using sprinklers or your garden hose frequently, to name a few. These can increase the risk of leaks developing when your pipes are being pushed too much for water.

You know you’re using too much water when you notice your plumbing is showing signs of low water pressure. Low water pressure generally means there is a leak somewhere in the supply line, so you would need to replace it once you have identified it.

Stems from Tree Roots

Never underestimate the power of nature. Just like how you see grass or weeds squeeze themselves against the concrete pavement, tree roots have that same strength. However, it can be detrimental to your plumbing!

Summer is a time for growth for all plants. Trees notably start growing more from their roots, which begin to spread outwards in search of more water and nutrients. During this venture, a tree’s roots have the strength to puncture or crack pipes if it grows too close.

When tree roots have taken hold of your pipes, it can result in a serious backup and clogged drains. It would be in your best interest to potentially reach out for an inspection to ensure if root damage is the culprit.

Due to Dry Soil

The more heat waves you need to endure, the drier your soil will become as a result. However, you might be asking yourself: what does this have to do with plumbing? Quite a lot!

Like your plumbing pipes, the intense heat will cause the soil to loosen and become dry. Consequently, it can potentially lead to the ground moving and shifting your home’s foundation. Furthermore, the ground ends up cracking, which affects your pipes and causes a sudden pipe burst.

Unexpected damage would require emergency plumbing. So, ensure you’re mindful of your home’s soil, or it can seriously affect your pipes.

Protecting Your Plumbing from the Heat

There is no avoiding the summer heat. However, it would be best if you didn’t allow high temperatures to potentially damage your plumbing. Thankfully, there are ways you can help prevent plumbing issues from occurring by monitoring and managing your pipes properly.

One of the most effective solutions that can help is to pay attention to your house’s water usage. You should keep an eye out if you see consistent and unexpected high water use – especially while you’re not running anything that requires it. Regardless, these irregularities shown in your water meter can mean a leak.

Another way you can protect your plumbing is by covering up any pipes exposed to excessive heat (i.e. out in the sun). You can do so by insulating those pipes or painting them. Insulation isn’t only meant to protect from winter’s colder temperatures but also is effective at shielding from UV rays that can cause your pipes damage.

Meanwhile, painting your pipes a brighter colour like white with light water-based acrylic or latex paint will help block damage from the sun’s rays.

And lastly, consider getting a plumber to inspect your pipes. In this way, you know what pipes are damaged or old that can be repaired or replaced.

Summer heat can affect plumbing in ways that are quite similar to winter. Hopefully, knowing these effects can better equip you to prevent any plumbing problems and ensure your summer remains fun!