North Carolina’s fifth-warmest September on record, with statewide rainfall about half of normal, is more than a footnote for gardeners and farmers. Climate researchers at NC State University report a preliminary statewide average of 2.63 inches of rain for the month, and Raleigh, the closest major reporting city to Sanford, recorded only 2.17 inches, or 42% of normal.
For homeowners in Sanford and the rest of Lee County, that dry spell has consequences below ground. The NC State Extension Gardener Handbook notes that clayey soils may have shrink-and-swell characteristics that affect construction uses. When a house sits on clay and the clay dries out, it pulls away from the water service line, the sewer lateral and the pipes under a slab, and the ground the pipes rest on can shift.
The result is rarely dramatic at first. A joint on an older sewer line separates slightly, a supply line under a slab begins to weep, or tree roots searching for moisture find a small crack in a drain line. The first signs inside the house are often subtle: a water bill that creeps up without a change in use, a drain that gurgles or backs up, a damp or warm patch on a floor, or the sound of running water when every fixture is off.
Comfort First Heating and Cooling, which handles plumbing, heating and cooling work for homes in Sanford and the surrounding Triangle communities, says the weeks after a long dry stretch are when hidden leaks are cheapest to find. The company’s plumbing work at the Sanford location covers pipe repair and replacement, drain cleaning, slab leak repair, water heater repair and installation, tankless systems, sump pumps, gas lines and fixture repair.
“Most people think about pipes when it freezes, but a long dry month moves the ground too. Clay soil shrinks, the pipes settle with it, and a joint that held for years starts to leak where nobody can see it. Checking the meter with the water off takes five minutes and tells you whether there is a problem worth looking at before the cold weather arrives,” said Adam Hagen, General Manager, Comfort First Heating and Cooling.
The company recommends several steps. Turn off every faucet and appliance, then check the water meter: if it still moves, water is going somewhere. Compare this month’s water bill with the same month last year. Listen for gurgling drains or a toilet that refills on its own. Walk the floors barefoot and note any warm or damp spots on a slab. Watch the yard for a patch of green grass or soft ground above the sewer line during a dry week. Find the main shutoff valve and make sure it turns freely before winter.
Comfort First Heating and Cooling serves Sanford and the surrounding Triangle area. Local plumbing service details are on the Sanford service page, and service can be arranged through the company website at www.yourcomfortfirst.com.
