Summer in Sydney means potential Storm Plumbing Emergencies. Preparing for a storm can sometimes be left till the last minute or not at all.

If you experience a massive water event, or a ‘once in a decade’ storm (which I swear we have every year nowadays) it can wreck havoc on your plumbing system and potentially lead to an emergency call out to your local emergency plumber!

In this article, we will share our insight into storm plumbing emergencies and what you can do to try and avoid any costly repairs.

Pre-storm Season – Quick Tips

Before the storm season arrives, put aside a Saturday afternoon and enjoy a routine spring cleaning the home’s downpipes, roof and gutters. Even gutters featuring mesh guards should be cleaned thoroughly.

You’ll want to get rid of any debris that can quickly clog and block a gutter or drain in the event of a large rainstorm. Your gutters serve an important purpose of moving large amounts of water off and away from your home, if they are blocked or broken and you experience a storm, you could be looking at 2 feet of water pooling on your roof, or nearby your front door, and you don’t want that.

Once the gutters are cleaned, it’s best to inspect your property’s stormwater drains. These may be covered by garden debris or over-grown grass. You’ll want to make sure the stormwater drains are easily accessible, clean and clear.

Clear any general rubbish or debris from around the house and yard. You want to take away anything that could be a potential hazard in a storm.

Once you’ve inspected and cleaned around the property, check on your home’s insurance and ensure that you are covered for any water damage, flood damage and storm damage. (You might be covered from storm damage, but not from flood damage – even though the flood might be the result of the storm). Call your insurance provider to double-check, if you’re not sure what you are covered for in your policy.

What Can Happen in Storm Plumbing Emergencies?

A heavy storm can affect the efficiency of your property’s drains and underground piping. It could also trigger major leaks or cause major blockages in unidentified areas of your home that have been lying undetected for some time.

Some common instances to observe post a storm-like condition are:

• Blocked Drains and Pipe Drains and gutters are usually the first components to check after any storm. In addition to checking the gutters, you should also inspect the downpipes –whether or not they are flowing well. Make sure that the drains are clear.

• Increased Pressure on Pipes As heavy rain continues falling and the ground turns to mud, the increased pressure and weight sitting on the underground piping can lead to leaks or ruptures. Piping in most homes is specially built to be durable under storm-like conditions. However, if the system is older, it can affect the overall response. Therefore, it is recommended to inspect for the saturated ground around the piping after a storm.

• Soak Wells or Overworked Sump Pumps

  Features like soak wells and sump pumps are specifically designed to keep the saturated ground from diverting the water away or affecting the property. However, heavy and sudden onset can put the system to test –especially if it is sustained or reach its capacity. A sump pump is responsible for actively pumping the water away from the property. It can get overworked by the immediate onset of stormwater. Therefore, it is important to know the capacity of these systems. Be prepared to check them after a storm.

• Flooding and Hidden Leaks

  As your plumbing system is working hard under a heavy storm, broken down sump pumps, burst pipes, or blockages can lead to flooding or leaks in your home. Therefore, it is important to check areas mostly left unattended. Overflowing gutters can lead to leaks in the roof leading to damp and flooding in crawl spaces of your walls and roofs.

Overflowing water from a broken pipe can also cause flooding in the basement. In such a case, it is crucial to do a full inspection of the house after a storm even when there are no visible damages.