Plumbing Inspection

Why You Need A Home Plumbing Inspection

A plumbing inspection should be one of the primary aspects of the property that a buyer must look into before negotiating or closing a deal. Plumbing repairs are not inexpensive, and getting stuck with poor plumbing work or broken pipes in your new home is bound to be a frustrating experience.

Many factors ought to be considered before deciding on or acquiring a home; among the most important is knowing that you have not only the right plumbing for your needs but also that your plumbing system is in good condition. So, the brief answer, in our opinion, is yes, you do require a complete plumbing inspection before moving on to purchase your new home.

Considerations

The expense of some of these tests/inspections can be substantial, depending upon who you opt for. However, we can assure you the peace of mind you deserve, and the possible savings upfront is huge. If you can get a cutback in your overall home price based upon the findings of plumbing inspections, you will, without a doubt, save money hand over fist, and the upfront small investment will be minimal as opposed to the dividends that it pays. You may not want to hand over these large sums every single time you discover a home you like, but once you have found “the one,” you should certainly take the plunge, for lack of a better word, and have a plumbing inspector come out and inspect your prospective home.

A Couple Of Things To Look For

It isn’t unusual for new home construction or renovation contractors to make some mistakes when connecting water and sewer systems. So here are a couple of things that you can look for personally during your walkthroughs.

Check each plumbing fixture in the house and ensure they are fully functional. A contractor may have cut some corners throughout the remodeling or new home construction. The result is that the water flow isn’t all that great, or perhaps these systems have gradually degraded. Whatever the case, such limitations or problems should be dealt with as quickly as possible, and you should not have to absorb that expense, so make sure to use the findings in your inspection report as leverage.

Identifying the Presence of Water Leaks

Before moving into any given house, you or the plumbing inspector must determine whether there are any leaks.

If you decide to work with a plumber to inspect your prospective home, they will fully ensure that there are no leakages in the house by performing a set of tests on your sewer system and freshwater supply. Sewer and in-slab water leaks require major repair and can cost thousands of dollars. During the repair of any broken pipes in your new house, you would have to destroy beautiful wood or tile flooring, which would just serve to add to the repair costs. This is a headache you don’t want to have.

In each restroom, make sure to inspect the flooring to see whether it is spongy or if it is soft. If so, more than likely, there is, or at one point, there could have possibly been a leaking pipeline or fixture.

Next, check the kitchen, and look inside each cabinet for signs of moisture. Open each faucet and ensure the water flow is great, not slow or blemished.

The existence of standing water in the yard is also an indication of a water leak. Stroll through the front and backyard personally to see if there is water on the ground due to pipes leaking.

Is the Water Heater Working Properly?

Hot or warm water has become an important part of our everyday lives, and as such, it’s important to ensure that your water heater is in good working condition. Either you or the plumbing inspector should inspect to see whether there is any rust on the exterior of the pipes or connections.

A water heater over 10 years old needs to be quickly replaced, so consider that too. You can look for the manufacturer’s sticker on the side of the water heater that shows the specific date the unit was produced and assembled. If you do not see a relevant date, we recommend you do a google search using the serial number to determine the unit’s age. If the unit in the home you are taking a look at seems to have been there for quite a while, you may want to consider its location in the house, whether it’s in the attic or a closet, and remember that if the unit does not have a drain pan or flood stop, this could result in severe damage in the house.

Water heaters are costly to replace, and it can be a lot more expensive to upgrade to a tankless unit. Keep this expense in mind if you find that the home you are looking at has an older water heater. Also, ensure you take the best actions to secure your investment.

A few things to search for on your water heater list include:

1. Does the water heater have any deterioration or rust on the system or its connections?
2. Does the unit have a pan below it with a pan drain line connected?
3. Do you have a Floodstop unit or similar device to shut the water off automatically if water is detected in the pan?

If rust is evident, you may want to have the system inspected, and depending on the age of the unit, it might require replacement. If the water heater does not have a pan below it, consider calling a plumbing technician to install one, especially if the unit lies in your attic or inside a closet in your house. If the unit does not have a flood stop gadget installed, you may consider having a professional set up one. These devices can save you thousands of dollars in repairs in the event of a potential flood brought on by a water heater failure. How does it work? The device has a sensing component that is placed in the drain pan. As soon as moisture is detected, it cuts off the water supply to the water heater, which prevents any damage to your house while you are at work or doing other things.

Inspecting the State of your Sewer

When buying a brand-new house, it is crucial to ensure that your sewer system is completely checked. It isn’t unusual for homeowners to list or sell a home on the marketplace that has serious plumbing problems, and these problems normally have a lot to do with the sewer system since it’s in the ground or slab, unexposed. Sometimes, pipe damages can go undetected or only cause intermittent issues, however, constantly recurring issues will trigger you to throw good money.

Our fully licensed plumbing technicians will do more than give you a vague concept of what’s happening with your prospective new house’s sewer system. They will perform tried and trusted tests on each area of the pipes in your house. That way, our report will indicate whether or not there is an issue with your sewer system. If your home does not pass the test, we bring out and use our cam systems and visually check and retest each part of the sewer system in your house to provide you with a comprehensive report of the problems or the absence thereof.

Why You Need A Home Plumbing Inspection

A plumbing inspection should be one of the primary aspects of the property that a buyer must look into before negotiating or closing a deal. Plumbing repairs are not inexpensive, and getting stuck with poor plumbing work or broken pipes in your new home is bound to be a frustrating experience.

Many factors ought to be considered before deciding on or acquiring a home; among the most important is knowing that you have not only the right plumbing for your needs but also that your plumbing system is in good condition. So, the brief answer, in our opinion, is yes, you do require a complete plumbing inspection before moving on to purchase your new home.

Considerations

The expense of some of these tests/inspections can be substantial, depending upon who you opt for. However, we can assure you the peace of mind you deserve, and the possible savings upfront is huge. If you can get a cutback in your overall home price based upon the findings of plumbing inspections, you will, without a doubt, save money hand over fist, and the upfront small investment will be minimal as opposed to the dividends that it pays. You may not want to hand over these large sums every single time you discover a home you like, but once you have found “the one,” you should certainly take the plunge, for lack of a better word, and have a plumbing inspector come out and inspect your prospective home.

A Couple Of Things To Look For

It isn’t unusual for new home construction or renovation contractors to make some mistakes when connecting water and sewer systems. So here are a couple of things that you can look for personally during your walkthroughs.

Check each plumbing fixture in the house and ensure they are fully functional. A contractor may have cut some corners throughout the remodeling or new home construction. The result is that the water flow isn’t all that great, or perhaps these systems have gradually degraded. Whatever the case, such limitations or problems should be dealt with as quickly as possible, and you should not have to absorb that expense, so make sure to use the findings in your inspection report as leverage.

Identifying the Presence of Water Leaks

Before moving into any given house, you or the plumbing inspector must determine whether there are any leaks.

If you decide to work with a plumber to inspect your prospective home, they will fully ensure that there are no leakages in the house by performing a set of tests on your sewer system and freshwater supply. Sewer and in-slab water leaks require major repair and can cost thousands of dollars. During the repair of any broken pipes in your new house, you would have to destroy beautiful wood or tile flooring, which would just serve to add to the repair costs. This is a headache you don’t want to have.

In each restroom, make sure to inspect the flooring to see whether it is spongy or if it is soft. If so, more than likely, there is, or at one point, there could have possibly been a leaking pipeline or fixture.

Next, check the kitchen, and look inside each cabinet for signs of moisture. Open each faucet and ensure the water flow is great, not slow or blemished.

The existence of standing water in the yard is also an indication of a water leak. Stroll through the front and backyard personally to see if there is water on the ground due to pipes leaking.

Is the Water Heater Working Properly?

Hot or warm water has become an important part of our everyday lives, and as such, it’s important to ensure that your water heater is in good working condition. Either you or the plumbing inspector should inspect to see whether there is any rust on the exterior of the pipes or connections.

A water heater over 10 years old needs to be quickly replaced, so consider that too. You can look for the manufacturer’s sticker on the side of the water heater that shows the specific date the unit was produced and assembled. If you do not see a relevant date, we recommend you do a google search using the serial number to determine the unit’s age. If the unit in the home you are taking a look at seems to have been there for quite a while, you may want to consider its location in the house, whether it’s in the attic or a closet, and remember that if the unit does not have a drain pan or flood stop, this could result in severe damage in the house.

Water heaters are costly to replace, and it can be a lot more expensive to upgrade to a tankless unit. Keep this expense in mind if you find that the home you are looking at has an older water heater. Also, ensure you take the best actions to secure your investment.

A few things to search for on your water heater list include:

1. Does the water heater have any deterioration or rust on the system or its connections?
2. Does the unit have a pan below it with a pan drain line connected?
3. Do you have a Floodstop unit or similar device to shut the water off automatically if water is detected in the pan?

If rust is evident, you may want to have the system inspected, and depending on the age of the unit, it might require replacement. If the water heater does not have a pan below it, consider calling a plumbing technician to install one, especially if the unit lies in your attic or inside a closet in your house. If the unit does not have a flood stop gadget installed, you may consider having a professional set up one. These devices can save you thousands of dollars in repairs in the event of a potential flood brought on by a water heater failure. How does it work? The device has a sensing component that is placed in the drain pan. As soon as moisture is detected, it cuts off the water supply to the water heater, which prevents any damage to your house while you are at work or doing other things.

Inspecting the State of your Sewer

When buying a brand-new house, it is crucial to ensure that your sewer system is completely checked. It isn’t unusual for homeowners to list or sell a home on the marketplace that has serious plumbing problems, and these problems normally have a lot to do with the sewer system since it’s in the ground or slab, unexposed. Sometimes, pipe damages can go undetected or only cause intermittent issues, however, constantly recurring issues will trigger you to throw good money.

Our fully licensed plumbing technicians will do more than give you a vague concept of what’s happening with your prospective new house’s sewer system. They will perform tried and trusted tests on each area of the pipes in your house. That way, our report will indicate whether or not there is an issue with your sewer system. If your home does not pass the test, we bring out and use our cam systems and visually check and retest each part of the sewer system in your house to provide you with a comprehensive report of the problems or the absence thereof.

Call Us At 410-989-8377!

Schedule Your Home Inspection Annapolis,Baltimore Metro Area Today!