Common Plumbing Problems in Shreveport and Why

Plumbing problems are not the same in every city. Shreveport has its own mix: older homes, clay soil along the Red River, a lake-fed water supply, winters that freeze harder than people expect, and heavy rain. Our team wrote this guide so you know what tends to go wrong here and why. If any of it sounds familiar, call (318) 300-4894 today for a quote.

Soil and slab leaks

Much of the low ground along the Red River is Moreland clay, a heavy soil that the federal soil survey describes as very slowly permeable and prone to deep cracking. It shrinks as it dries in summer and swells again when the rain returns. That movement stresses water lines under and beside a foundation until a joint or a thin spot gives way. Shreveport's own sewer programme names shifting soil as one of the reasons buried pipes crack. A warm spot on the floor or a meter that turns with everything off is worth a call. We are committed to making slab leak repair in Shreveport simple and reliable.

Water hardness and scale

Shreveport is not a hard-water city. The water comes from Cross Lake, topped up from Twelve Mile Bayou in dry periods, and the city's purification superintendent has put its average hardness at about 45 to 50 milligrams per litre, which is on the soft side. Scale is therefore a smaller problem here than in much of Texas. Sediment is another matter: lake water carries fine material, and in 2024 higher manganese in Cross Lake discoloured tap water in parts of the city. Flushing a water heater once a year still pays. We will ensure that your water heater maintenance in Shreveport is handled by professionals.

Older neighbourhoods and old drain lines

A large share of Shreveport's homes were built before 1970. Highland's houses date from about 1890 to the 1930s, South Highlands from the 1920s, Queensborough mostly from before the 1950s, and Broadmoor from the 1940s through the 1960s. Homes of those ages often still have their original cast-iron or clay drain lines and galvanized supply pipes, and these corrode, sag and let roots in. Remember that the sewer pipe inside your property lines is yours to maintain, not the city's. Our team is fully committed to reliable drain cleaning in Shreveport.

Weather and burst pipes

Shreveport's climate is humid subtropical, but it sees freezing nights on about 35 days in an average year, and now and then the cold is severe. On 16 February 2021 the temperature fell to 1°F with more than eight inches of snow on the ground, and some residents were without water for as long as two weeks. A hard freeze over Christmas 2022 broke so many mains and private service lines that the city issued a system-wide boil advisory. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces, garages and outside walls are the ones at risk. When you need burst pipe repair in Shreveport, our team is ready to help.

Local corrosion factors

Two local factors are worth knowing. First, Shreveport disinfects its water with chloramines, which are long-lasting but can be hard on rubber parts such as toilet flappers, washers and supply hoses. Second, the city's water quality report traces the lead and copper found in tap samples to the corrosion of household plumbing, not to the source water. In practice that means older fittings, valves and galvanized pipe wear from the inside. Brown water first thing in the morning that clears after a minute usually points to the house pipes. Our team is focused on high-quality repiping across Shreveport.

Storm season and flooding

Shreveport receives around 51 inches of rain a year, and severe thunderstorms are common in spring and summer. The Red River flooded in June 2015, cresting at 37.14 feet and causing backwater flooding around Cross Lake and Twelve Mile Bayou, and there was more flooding in March 2016. Heavy rain also leaks into old sewers and overloads them, which is when sewage backs up through the lowest drain in a house. A water heater that has been under flood water needs checking before it is used again. We will ensure that your sewer line repair in Shreveport is handled by professionals.

Fix it yourself or call a plumber?

Some jobs are fair game: plunging a toilet, cleaning a faucet aerator, replacing a toilet flapper, clearing hair from a shower drain, resetting a tripped disposal. Call a plumber for anything involving the main sewer line, the water heater's gas or electrical parts, a leak you cannot see, or any gas pipe. Plumbing and gas piping work in Shreveport requires a permit, and Louisiana requires the person doing plumbing work to hold a state licence. Skip the chemical drain cleaners; they damage pipes. Our team is fully committed to reliable plumbing repair in Shreveport.

Signs to act on today

• Water coming through a ceiling or wall
• Sewage backing up in a tub, shower or floor drain
• A water heater leaking from the tank
• The meter turning when every tap is closed
• A smell of gas: leave the house and call the gas utility and 911
• No water, or a sudden drop in pressure through the whole house

Our full list of services is on the plumbing services page. When you need a plumber in Shreveport, our team is ready to help. Call (318) 300-4894 today for a quote.