Ah, Dallas! The ninth largest city in the United States. The centrally-located favorite of the Lone Star State. The place where the frozen margarita machine was invented. Where Verhoeven filmed RoboCop (yes, really)! Where you can find the country’s largest urban hardwood forest! Long story short: Dallas is awesome and unique.
Dallas’ uniqueness is a big part of why it’s so great, but some aspects of that uniqueness are also… inconvenient. Dallas’ weather and climate are often unusual compared to other parts of the US. We have a distinctly humid subtropical climate, with mild winters and hot, sticky summers. Our unique weather and climate also create specific plumbing problems. At Ben Franklin Plumbing, we love Dallas. That’s why we’ve spent so many years learning about its unique plumbing problems, and how we can overcome them. Here are some of the unique plumbing problems we deal with in Dallas:
Slab leaks due to high rainfall percentages.
Dallas air holds onto moisture and we have persistently high rainfall averages. Together, those two meteorological phenomena add up to making Dallas a surprisingly wet city. All of that moisture creates quite a few unique problems, including surprisingly common slab leaks.
The ground in Dallas tends to sponge up extra water, causing it to shift. That shift can damage or even break underground pipes and sewer lines. Slab leaks can be incredibly dangerous if you don’t fix them quickly. They can inflict water damage that could compromise the structural integrity of your entire home, and most definitely your plumbing.
Pipes that aren’t prepared for cold.
Any Dallas resident knows that this winter has been decidedly colder and more unpleasant than many others historically. Temperatures keep dropping and unexpected ice is causing accidents all over. Many of these accidents happen because Dallas residents aren’t prepared for cold and snow. It’s understandable; the average temperature for this time of year in Texas should be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Sudden, unseasonal cold tends to cause plumbing problems too–especially because we tend not to prepare for it.
The best way to prevent cold weather plumbing problems is to prepare for them before they happen. Do a little research to figure out how to make sure your pipes can handle cold. Look for a plumber that knows how to handle cold-related plumbing emergencies. Turn on the faucets in your home and let them drip ever-so-slightly on cold days. The movement of water helps keep the chill from creeping in. Protect your indoor pipes with weatherproof window stripping that keeps warm air in and cold air out. A little weather prep will go a long way toward preventing serious plumbing problems.
Humidity damage.
A region’s climate is considered “humid subtropical” when that region’s summer temperatures exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit and the air retains over 70% of the moisture that accumulates in it. In the winter, this moisture level remains, while the temperatures typically stay above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Persistent high humidity is something your body can get used to, but your home isn’t as adaptable.
Dallas residents must make sure their home’s HVAC systems manage airflow and maintain safe indoor moisture levels properly. If you don’t, mildew and mold growth are all-but-inevitable; mold loves humidity and warmth. Appliances are also more likely to break down or short out quickly in humid homes–even if they’re new.
Nobody knows Dallas’ unique plumbing problems better than Ben Franklin Plumbing–probably because we have so much experience fixing them. Whatever plumbing problem you’re dealing with right now (Dallas-specific or not), give us a call. We’re always ready and waiting to help our Dallas neighbors.