During the fall season the weather starts to get cooler and we transition from the extreme heat of the summer months to the extreme cold of the winter season. More than any other kind of wear and tear, the cold weather does the most damage to your plumbing system.
During the summer months, a breakdown in your plumbing system is (usually) not a devastating situation. A slow leak, for instance, will simply continue to leak when the weather is hot and there’s not much else that it will lead to.
However, once the weather turns cold, that small leak will soon escalate to a major complication. Here are some of the most common plumbing issues that could escalate to a major problem during the cold weather:
- If you have a septic system, this is the time to have it checked for routine repairs. A septic system that has any kind of vulnerability going into the cold weather could have a major breakdown. Cracks in the tank or clogs in the drain field will escalate quickly when the temperatures drop.
- If your toilet is not flushing completely, or it is stubborn to flush it is important to have it looked at now before the cold weather comes. A leak around the bottom of the toilet or, a toilet that doesn’t flush fully is an easy fix now while the weather is mild.
- Small leaks might seem benign but, actually they can be very damaging to your plumbing system if left unrepaired. Take a look around your home now and have any small leaks fixed before the weather turns.
Most of your plumbing system is buried under the ground, and when the environment around your plumbing system gets cold, the pipes, fixtures, and fittings will react to the cold weather by moving, contract, and shifting. Any one of these reactions will contribute to a failure in your plumbing system.
