Plumbing Guide
When plumbing fails around DC, month by month
By All Purpose Anytime Services LLC
Pipes fail all year, but not at random. Around Washington the trouble arrives in a fairly predictable order. The freeze comes in mid November, the holiday load lands on the drains, the spring rain tests the sump pump and the sewer line, and storm season finishes the year. Knowing that order tells you what to check, and when booking ahead saves you a cold shower.
October and November, before the first freeze
The average first freeze in Washington is around November 12. Frozen pipe season starts around that date here, well before Christmas. Fall is also when homeowners book preventive plumbing work, and it is the right time to do it.
- Disconnect hoses and drain the outside taps
- Insulate pipe in exterior walls, crawl spaces and attics
- Find the main shutoff, label it, and turn it off and back on once
- Flush the water heater, and check the age on the label
The full list is in the yearly plumbing checklist.
December brings frozen pipes, a full house and a tired water heater
A seasonal report from one plumbing and sewer company puts burst pipes, sewer backups and water heater failures at their worst in December. The cold arrives at the same time as the guests. A water heater works hardest when the incoming water is coldest.
If a pipe splits, shut the main water off first and open a low tap to drain the system down. Then call. We answer from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day, and burst pipes and active leaks are scheduled within 48 hours. Read what to do when a pipe bursts.
In January and February the drains pay for the holidays
January is a peak month for drain cleaning. Holiday grease goes down the sink warm and hardens in cold lines, and a full house sends more through every drain. One slow sink is usually that sink. Several slow drains at once, or a toilet that gurgles when the washing machine empties, point at the main line.
Skip the chemical drain cleaner. It often fails on a real blockage and it damages older pipe. See drain cleaning.
In March and April the thaw shows what the winter did
The average last freeze in Washington is around April 1. After that, the winter damage starts to show. An outside tap that split behind the wall announces itself the first time the hose goes on. A pipe that froze in February can weep inside a wall for weeks before a stain appears on the ceiling below.
Water damage and freezing make up about 22 percent of home insurance claims. If the meter moves with every tap closed, the water is going somewhere. Read how leak detection works.
Spring is also selling season. March is the peak month for new listings in Washington, and a seized shutoff or a rocking toilet is the kind of thing a buyer's inspector writes down.
May to July, the wet months test the sump pump and the sewer line
May, June and July are usually the wettest months around Washington, mostly from thunderstorms that drop a lot of rain fast. A sump pump that runs constantly, cycles oddly or did nothing the last time it was needed should be looked at before those storms, not during one. Pour a bucket of water into the pit in April and watch it switch on.
Heavy rain also puts pressure on old sewer lines. Read the signs of a sewer line problem.
August to October, storm rain and time to plan the big jobs
Atlantic hurricane season peaks around September 10. The DC area rarely takes a direct hit. What it gets is the rain from storm remnants, which finds every weak point in a basement.
This is the time to do the jobs you already know are coming. A water heater past ten years, or a run of pipe on its second pinhole leak, is a planned job in September and a bad week in January. See repair or replace a water heater.
What to settle with any plumber before work starts
When people praise a contractor, it is usually for showing up when they said, keeping them informed, stating a fair price up front and leaving work that looked right. The complaints are about mess, or a start time that was confusing and then moved. All of that can be settled before anyone opens a wall.
- The date and the time of the visit, confirmed in writing. When we book a visit you get a text with the date, the time and the address.
- What is wrong and why, before any price is discussed.
- The price in writing before work starts, including what happens if the leak turns out to be inside a wall or a slab.
- Who pulls the permit, where one is needed.
- How the work area is protected and how it is left. If a wall, a floor or the yard has to be opened, what it will look like when the plumber leaves.
We answer every day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Call (240) 695-4415 or request service.
Something on this calendar due?
Pick the job from the month you are in, from the outside tap shutoff to the sump pump test, and book it before the season turns.