Homeowners understand that their plumbing pipes can burst during the spring and summer months, causing severe leaks when the ice melts. This can happen even in areas with mild winters. Because of this, you might think that the more pleasant temperatures of summer don’t affect plumbing pipes significantly. However, heat and other summer-related phenomena can negatively impact your pipes. This leads to leaks that can damage your house and be expensive to repair.

Summer Heat Causes Pipes to Expand

Cold temperatures cause most things to shrink, but water expands as it freezes. This causes pipes to burst. Heat causes most things to expand, including water pipes. Your plumbing pipes are almost certainly protected from direct sunlight, but your hot water lines will still feel the heat. Hot water delivers higher pressure than cold water. Older hot water pipes can fail from the stress of hot water flowing through them during the summer. The risk is higher if these pipes have endured a harsh winter, where hot water has continually frozen and thawed within them.

Tree and Shrub Roots Grow in the Summer

The feeder roots of trees and shrubs begin to grow during the warm weather, just like every other part of the plant. If these tiny roots infiltrate the plumbing pipes, they can force them to expand and ultimately burst. This situation is especially problematic if it’s the sewer pipe responsible for carrying waste out of your house. Such issues can lead to sewage backups, slow drains, and even health emergencies. Moreover, fixing a broken sewer pipe is costly and disruptive if plumbers have to perform an excavation on part of your property to locate and repair it.

Clogs Can Also Cause Pipes to Expand

Ironically, one reason people love summer is that it’s warm enough to spend a lot of time outside. This means that people can get dirty, whether from working in the garden, playing sports, going to the beach, or engaging in various other pleasurable outdoor activities. People take more baths and showers, and wash more clothes in the washing machine, because they are more active during the summer. Additionally, hosting guests at home can put stress on the plumbing pipes that service your garbage disposal unit or dishwasher. If these clogs aren’t removed, they can cause drain pipes to expand, crack, and leak.

Give Us a Call to Check Your Plumbing Pipes

Summer may be the best time of the year for many homeowners, but water pipes still need care. If your pipes need service or if you want leak detection, don’t hesitate to call Kyle Plumbing in Deerfield Beach, FL, so that we can send one of our plumbers.