Common Plumbing Problems in Corpus Christi and Why

Corpus Christi is not an easy place to be a pipe. The water is hard, the soil under most neighbourhoods is clay that swells and shrinks with the weather, the air is salty and humid, hurricane season brings flooding, and every few winters a hard freeze reaches the coast. Those things explain most of the plumbing calls in the city. Here is what each one does to a house, the signs to watch for, and when to call a licensed plumber at (361) 336-0647.

Clay soil and slab leaks

Most homes here sit on a concrete slab with the water and drain lines underneath. The Coastal Bend's clay expands when it is wet and shrinks when it is dry, and that movement stresses the pipes under the slab until they crack. Older copper and galvanized lines fail first. The signs are warm spots on the floor, a water bill that jumps with no change in use, the sound of running water when everything is off, damp carpet or baseboards, and low pressure. Once a plumber locates the leak with listening equipment or a pressure test, the fix is a spot repair through the slab, a reroute overhead through the attic, or a repipe if the pipe is failing in several places.

Hard water and scale

Corpus Christi's water is generally considered hard. Scale builds up in water heaters, shower valves, faucet aerators and dishwashers faster than in soft-water cities. A water heater that rumbles or pops, takes longer to recover, or runs out of hot water sooner than it used to is often full of sediment. Flushing a tank heater once a year and descaling a tankless unit on schedule matters more here than in most of Texas. Some homeowners add a softener or a whole-house filter; a plumber can size and install one.

Older neighbourhoods and old drain lines

Homes in older parts of the city, including the area around Ocean Drive, Downtown, Lindale and parts of Flour Bluff, can still have cast-iron or clay drain lines. Cast iron corrodes from the inside and sags; clay joints let roots in. The signs are repeated clogs in the same line, sewer smells, gurgling toilets and patches of yard that are greener than the rest. A camera inspection shows exactly what is wrong before anyone commits to a repair.

Winter freezes and burst pipes

The February 2021 freeze burst pipes across the Coastal Bend, especially exposed lines in attics, garages, outside walls and under elevated homes. Any winter freeze warning brings a wave of the same calls. Before a freeze: cover outdoor hose bibs, open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, let a faucet drip, and know where the main shut-off is. If a pipe bursts, close the main first, then call.

Salt air and corrosion

Salt air is hard on anything metal near the bay, the ship channel or the island. Outdoor hose bibs, water-heater fittings, exposed supply lines and fixtures corrode in a matter of years in Port Aransas, Padre Island and Flour Bluff, and more slowly inland. Corroded fittings leak, seize, and eventually fail. Replacing them with brass or PEX before they fail is cheaper than the water damage after.

Hurricane season and flooding

Storm surge and heavy rain push water into drains and sometimes into water heaters and crawl spaces. After a storm: check the water heater for a flooded burner compartment before relighting it, look for sand or debris in outdoor fixtures, and run each drain to make sure it clears. If the sewer backs up during heavy rain, the main line may be damaged or the city system overwhelmed; a plumber can tell which.

Fix it yourself or call a plumber?

Swapping a faucet aerator, plunging a toilet or replacing a flapper is fair game for a homeowner. Anything involving the water heater's gas or electrical connections, a line under the slab, the main sewer line, or any gas pipe belongs to a licensed plumber, both for safety and because the city requires a permit and inspection for that work. If a job needs a tool you would have to buy, or you cannot find the shut-off, that is usually the moment to call.

Signs to act on today

• Water bill up with no change in use
• Warm spot on the floor or a damp wall
• More than one drain slow at the same time
• Rusty or discoloured hot water
• Sewer smell inside or in the yard
• Any smell of gas: leave the house, call the gas utility, then a plumber

Call (361) 336-0647 to reach a licensed plumber serving Corpus Christi, Robstown, Port Aransas and Portland.