Repairing Your Plumbing After a Flood

The period necessary to recover from the effects of a flood is quite lengthy, and it is challenging. SanitaryQuest Plumbing will devote the upcoming weeks and months to aiding homeowners throughout the process of repairing and rebuilding their homes and communities. This commitment will continue for as long as it is needed.

If flooding affects your home, concealed plumbing damage is possible, which you will only discover if a qualified plumber inspects your property in great detail. To find out if there is such damage, you will need to hire a professional plumber to inspect your home comprehensively. The following is a list of the most common plumbing problems that occur after a flood, in no particular order:

Clogged Drains

The debris carried away by the water during a flood will be left behind once the floodwaters recede. The water that comes with a flood usually has some quantity of dirt and silt. These particles will probably clog any drains that were flooded in floodwater during the storm located on your property. A plumbing snake or a plunger are two basic do-it-yourself gadgets that can clear obstacles like this in many different situations. Plungers are also an option. If, on the other hand, you are concerned about damage farther up the line and are already planning to have a professional plumber assess your plumbing anyway, you might want to keep these drains in their current state until your plumber gives you the all-clear signal to continue with your plans.

Dirty and Damaged Fixtures

Any plumbing fittings subjected to physical damage due to wind, structural collapse, or floating or flying debris will need to be replaced. This will be the case because of the high likelihood that replacement will be necessary. However, even those not damaged will need some tender loving care in the form of a thorough washing with bleach that has been diluted. This will be necessary to remove any residue left by the shattered pieces. You will need to disassemble the items and soak the individual components of the faucets and shower heads in bleach to prevent mould from growing on the surfaces of the faucets and shower heads.

Broken Pipes in the Home

Both falling debris generated by a storm and floating debris caused by a flood may cause damage to the pipes in your home. If this happens, you will need to have the pipes replaced. This would have a twofold negative effect. You will not even be capable of detecting the problem until after the floodwater has subsided and is completely removed from the property. If a pipe has been broken or cracked, this situation will occur. If you notice other puddles after the floodwater has subsided, switch off the water supply at the main valve. At the same time, you wait for a qualified plumbing technician to evaluate the matter.

Broken Pipes Underground

The weight of that standing water, in addition to the moist dirt below it, is quite crushing. Unfortunately, the pressure from all this foot traffic might cause the underground water and waste pipelines to explode, which would be a major inconvenience. After the water level has dropped, if you look about your property and discover any sinkholes, this might be an indicator that one or more of these lines have collapsed under your lawn. A plumber needs to inspect the pipe with a camera first before we can move further.

Foundation Damage

When the foundation of the home changes, there is a chance that the pipes within the house can explode if they are jostled around too much. It is conceivable for there to be damage to the foundation during a flood if there is movement in the damp ground underneath it and if there is also movement in the earth itself. The unstable soil may cause the foundation to crack, and one type of structural material that may be injured is the plumbing pipes. However, there are other possibilities. In the circumstances like this one, foundation work is often required to be completed first before certain pipes may be changed out.