When most people talk about protecting their plumbing system, they picture protecting their pipes from freezing during the cold winter season. However, another factor you definitely don’t want to overlook is how extreme heat can affect your piping. Here, we’ll discuss how heat can affect your plumbing and what you can do to protect it from damage.
Higher Pipe Pressure
One of the first ways extreme heat can affect your plumbing is through a pressure increase in your lines. High temperatures cause your water to heat up and expand. As water expands, it increases the pressure on your piping and can result in leaks in weakened or older piping.
Always opt for continually cooling your home to keep it from reaching extremely hot indoor temperatures. Additionally, upgrading your plumbing system’s components on a routine basis will help to ensure they’re not highly susceptible to leakage issues caused by water expansion.
A great tool to minimize the incoming pressure of water in your home is a pressure-reducing valve. Since water pressure can be higher during times of hot weather, it only makes sense to regulate the water pressure coming in from the main water supply line you can’t control to prevent unfortunate piping damage.
Faster Pipe Deterioration
High heat levels can prematurely deteriorate common piping materials. For example, PVC is a typical material used in Arizona homes. When PVC undergoes periods of extreme heat exposure, it can become brittle and actually warp. This will decrease its overall lifespan and require more frequent plumbing upgrades.
To prevent this problem, ensure you keep your piping in well-insulated areas and minimize the amount of it that’s above ground. Shallow and exposed piping are more prone to UV damage. If you have piping in an exposed area that you can’t relocate, opt for adding insulation. If your plumbing is aging and can’t handle the heat of AZ summer, we can help with repiping services to give you peace of mind again.
Overheating Water Heaters
While you may not even think about using hot water on those extremely hot days of the year, it’s important to remember that your water heater is still running. If you have a water heater that’s located in an uninsulated location, such as your garage, it’s more prone to overheating. When your water heater overheats, it can create internal damage. Additionally, just the hot air surrounding the water heater can put a lot of strain on it and reduce its overall lifespan.
To prevent this problem, you can have a plumber relocate your water heater to a different location that’s insulated. You can also opt for turning down the preset temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the summer months. This lower temperature setting will reduce the amount of heat in your water heater tank while still keeping your family safe from unhealthy bacteria.
Ground Shifting
One unfortunate result of dry outside temperatures in Arizona is soil contraction and shifting. Any outside pipes are susceptible to movements that can damage connections. Typically, your main water line and sewer lines are highly sensitive to ground shifting during extremely hot conditions.
While there isn’t a whole lot you can do to stop ground shifting, one thing you can do is to ensure your piping isn’t outdated. Aging sewer lines and water supply lines are more likely to shift or break under these natural ground movements.
Evaporating Traps
All the sinks and showers throughout your home have a P-trap underneath them that’s responsible for blocking unwanted sewer gases from coming up through your drains. Sewer gases can be very dangerous when in confined spaces. The way a P-trap blocks these toxic sewer gases is by retaining a little bit of water at the bottom of the trap.
Unfortunately, when the weather gets very hot, it can speed up the natural evaporation process. You may find that some of your sinks are starting to smell like sewage because the water inside the P-trap has evaporated. A simple solution is to run some water down the drain. On extremely hot days, opt for running water down all your sinks, showers, and even your clothes washer drain to prevent unwanted sewer odors.
Scaling Increase
There’s no doubt that many Arizona homes deal with hard water due to the natural rock formations in the local area. If you don’t treat your water with a water softener system, then the minerals in hard water are able to affect all the different components of your plumbing system. As the minerals dry up and harden, they create a scaling that will prematurely deteriorate the inside of your piping and the metal components of all your plumbing fixtures.
As the corrosion builds up inside your piping or fixture, you’ll notice a decrease in water pressure, which can be really frustrating. One of the best ways to help extend the longevity of all your plumbing system’s components, especially during hot summer days, is to install a water softener system. This will remove all the excess minerals in your water to prevent scaling from developing.
Degrading Water Supply Lines
Many water supply lines underneath sinks, toilets, and washing machines are made with a rubber or plastic material. These materials are highly susceptible to breaking down in extreme heat. A lot of them will get extremely brittle and eventually break apart, leading to unfortunate water leaks in your home. One of the best ways to help prevent this is to use stainless steel water supply lines or commercial-grade supply lines with high-temperature resistance.
Try a Smart Leak Detection System
One innovative tool that hit the market recently is the smart leak detection system. This particular device uses multiple sensors that homeowners place near their water-using appliances, underneath their sinks, near their showers, and so forth. Anytime the sensor detects water, the system will send an alert to your smartphone so that you know about it.
Many of these systems also come with integrated smart valves that allow your system to automatically shut off water to particular locations of your home where it senses a water leak. These devices can be invaluable for detecting hidden plumbing leaks and minimizing the damage a leak causes to your home.
Importance of Plumbing Inspections
One of the absolute best ways to protect your plumbing system from the extreme outdoor heat is to get routine plumbing inspections by professionals. One of our plumbing professionals will be able to inspect all the different components of your system and advise you of any problems so that we can repair them swiftly.
Issues like cracking or hidden leaks can turn into massive issues under extreme heat conditions. Routine plumbing inspections by one of our licensed plumbers will actively catch these unfortunate problems and greatly minimize your risk of experiencing a major plumbing issue during summertime heat spells.
Reliable Pipe Inspection Service
Cal’s Plumbing provides reliable pipe inspection service for the Tucson, AZ community. We can also assist with all your piping installation, repair, and replacement needs. Call our friendly office staff today to schedule your next service consultation.
