Your family has already decided that they’re going to buy a new home, and everything seems to be in place, including the inspector for the home. Although having an inspector for the home is necessary, you should also consider getting a plumbing inspection, even if it’s not required.
Plumbing inspections are not required in most cases, but the inspection is something that's very useful and can be a money saver in the end. You wouldn’t want to move into a new home to find that you have a lot of plumbing work that necessary, which can affect how you use the plumbing and if you can use the plumbing at all.
If you have the plumbing checked ahead of time, then you’ll know exactly what you’re going to have to deal with and if there will be costly repairs or if you can just move in without bothering the plumbing at all.
Plumbing inspections are something that a professional plumber should do, especially since a typical person may not know exactly what to check for in a home and may miss some things, which can cost them big down the line.
Many plumbers do inspections for homes, and they can give you information about what needs to be checked, and once the inspection is completed, they’ll let you know exactly what needs to be replaced or fixed.
What Your Plumber Should Check For
Plumbers tend to have a list of things that they check when they are doing a plumbing inspection, but you can feel free to give the plumber additional tasks if you find some things in the home that concern you if the plumber doesn’t know about it. Here are a few things that the plumber should check when they are doing their inspection:
- Pipes
- Drains
- Water Discoloration
- Toilets
- Main Sewer Line
- Water Heater
Checking the pipes and drains in a home is a must, especially if the previous owners of the house hadn’t done any drain cleaning over the years that they’d been in the home. Drain cleaning is something that’s recommended every year, and if no drain cleaning has ever been done in the home, then it’s possible that a lot of clogging may occur in the drains.
The main sewer line also needs to be checked as well, especially since that particular line leads to the city sewer, and problems with this line can mean problems for the plumbing in the entire home.
The main sewer line can be very deep underneath the home as well, going down twelve feet or even more, so repairs that need to be done to this line can be costly. The plumber will also check for water discoloration, toilet functionality, and leaks, and they’ll test the water heater as well.
Checking The Water Heater
Water heaters can be complicated, so only professional plumbers with a certification are authorized to install or even maintain water heaters.
The plumber should have a permit before they check your water heater, so be sure that the plumber doing the inspection has certification to handle water heaters before you hire them. The water heater needs to be checked because it supplies hot water to the entire home.
Water heaters can leak, and the leaking that occurs in the heater can make it unusable. If a water heater has been used in a home for about ten years, then it should be time for a replacement, even if the heater is still currently working. The plumber should be able to determine when the water heater was installed in the home and if the heater needs replacement due to age.
If the water heater isn’t too old and still functions properly, then the plumber can do maintenance on the heater while they are there, especially if the heater hasn’t had any maintenance over the years that it’s been used. Proper maintenance to any water heater will keep it functioning for years to come.
Don’t Forget The Toilets
Most homes have several toilets, and checking each toilet during the plumbing inspection is important. The flapper on each toilet should be examined to make sure none of them are leaking. It’s also important to make sure the toilets are in place securely and that they are not rocking side to side.
Toilets that can move may end up falling over, which can be dangerous for anyone who chooses to sit on the toilet, especially if it’s a child sitting on the toilet. If all the toilets are secure in place, then checking for leaks as well as any cracks in the toilet is important.
If a toilet is cracked anywhere, then replacing that portion of the toilet or the entire toilet may be necessary. Many toilets can last for years, so unless the toilet has a problem that’s making it function improperly, then it shouldn’t need replacement.
You can always feel free to insert a new toilet if you only want one, especially if you’re new toilet has technology that the older toilet doesn’t have.
Water Discoloration
Discolored water can be severe, and this water shouldn’t be used for drinking at all. Those that have already moved into a house and haven’t done a plumbing inspection until after they moved in will be very upset to find discolored water.
It’s possible for the discolored water to be coming from many different sources, so drink bottled water until the plumber can figure out the cause of the discoloration. The plumber will check several places to find the origin of the discolored water until they can discover it and fix it.
Let the excellent plumbers at JD Precision Plumbing Services take care of your plumbing needs when you contact them at (936) 228-5000 in The Woodlands, TX.
