A leak in your main water line can very quickly run up your water bill and, what’s worse, cause severe damage to your property. More often than not, your water main will continue to supply water to your home for decades without issues. So, what can cause that sturdy, reliable pipe to start leaking? There are a few common culprits. Keep reading to learn what they are and how to find main line repair in Sacramento, CA.
Faulty Installation
A bad installation is one of the more common causes of a main line leak. There are many ways that the initial installation can go wrong. These include using substandard materials, improperly fitted connections in the pipe, or incorrect pipe placement. Each of these issues can lead to a leak in its own way, but the bottom line is that your water main line is a lot more likely to fail prematurely when the builder did the job wrong.
Freezing and Thawing
Sacramento might not have especially harsh winters, but occasionally, the ground can freeze during an unexpected cold snap. If your water main is less than 4 feet below the ground’s surface, these frosty fronts can impact the pipes. As you know, frozen pipes are likely to rupture, so keep an eye on this issue if the weather gets freezing. Note that exposed pipes will freeze long before underground ones, though, so if your above-ground pipes are still okay, you shouldn’t have to worry about this problem with your water main.
Shifting Soil
The soil around your pipe doesn’t have to get cold for it to start shifting. The earth under and around your home is constantly experiencing minute changes in pressure, density, and moisture content. But if the soil shifts too much, it could put excess pressure on your underground pipes. Or, the soil under the pipe can erode, no longer giving the pipe the support it needs, and causing it to buckle and break eventually.
Invading Tree Roots
Thirsty trees are also a common problem for water main lines. A tree’s roots can reach for yards and yards in their search for moisture—and sometimes, they’ll creep right into your pipes. Tiny roots that are barely larger than a strand of hair can easily slip into the joints of your water main. But those roots can grow and tangle together, making those joints split apart and causing blockages inside your pipes and becoming a nightmare to deal with.
Damage from Pests
You’re probably aware of the many ways in which pests can damage your home—chewing up drywall, fraying electrical wires, and so on. But did you know they can also cause damage to your water main and other underground pipes? Typically, you’re not going to have to worry about rodents trying to chew on your pipes; their teeth can’t gnaw on the material these pipes are typically made of.
However, gophers and moles can dig tunnels under and around your water mainline. This can leave spaces beneath parts of the pipe and, just as with shifting soil, cause the pipe to buckle and break in spots where it doesn’t have the right amount of support beneath it.
Simple Aging
Finally, it’s important to remember that everything has an expiration date, and that includes your water mainline. As sturdy as it is, even under ideal conditions, it will wear out eventually. If your home is more than 50 years old and you’re experiencing water main issues, the line is probably just old enough that it needs to be replaced.
If you need water main repair in Sacramento, contact Bullseye Leak Detection for fast, professional service.