Don’t Move In Just Yet
Getting a new home can be incredibly exciting, especially when it’s the first home you’ve ever purchased. The home that you’re purchasing may not exactly be brand new, which means a lot of inspections need to take place before you even purchase the home. Although home inspections are required before most homes can ever be sold, one thing people don’t think about is plumbing inspections, which is extremely important.
Since plumbing will be used on a daily basis it is a priority to get a plumbing inspection. Some plumbing is so old and worn out that the family that moves into the new home starts having problems with the plumbing almost immediately.
Unfortunately, plumbing inspections are not something that everyone knows they should do, and big problems can occur with the water heater, the toilets, the main sewer line, and with the pipes and drains around the home if a plumbing inspection is not done.
Getting a plumber out to inspect the plumbing within a home is always the best choice, but ensure that you have a plumber ready to do the inspection before you ever sign on the dotted line to purchase the home.
There are many plumbers that specialize in plumbing inspections for a home, and you can easily make an appointment with a plumber to get the inspection taken care of. Your plumber should be able to tell you if anything needs to be replaced immediately or further down the line and how much it will cost.
Also, you need to make sure the plumber checks the most important plumbing that will be regularly used, and be prepared to turn down the home if too much plumbing work has to be completed for the home to be move-in ready. If no plumbing work is necessary before move-in, then be glad that you had an inspection done because it will end up saving you a lot of money in the end.
Water Heaters
A water heater is crucial for any home, especially homes that are in cold areas. Homes that require a water heater need to ensure that the water heater is working before they choose to move into the home and a plumber’s inspection of the water heater can determine if it’s still fully functional or needs a replacement.
Water heaters have a lifespan of about ten years, but some water heaters can go a little bit longer than ten years. If a water heater has been misused or has damage to it or is rusting, then it’s possible that the heater will need a complete replacement. If the water heater has been maintained regularly, then it should work just fine, but not every home will maintain a water heater every year as they should.
It's no secret that water heaters that haven’t had regular maintenance may show signs of wear and tear. Water heaters should be flushed and cleaned on a yearly basis, as well as being checked for any damage. The location of the water heater is also important, especially if it’s locked away in a closet, which means it’s likely never to be checked and may have unknown damage.
If the water heater has a leak, then consider replacing it because fixing the leak may be impossible. You’ll want to ensure that the water heater can be used in your home and is the right size for the home because an undersized water heater won’t give you enough hot water for everyone in the home. If you have your own water heater that you want to install in the new home, even though the home currently has a water heater, then have your plumber determine if the water heater that you want to install will function properly in the home and is the right fit for the home.
It’s so important to check the toilets in a home during a plumbing inspection, especially since these fixtures will be used on a daily basis. Even if you have several toilets in the home, you’ll want each toilet to be checked individually to make sure none of them have leaks or cracks. Leaking toilets can rot the floor underneath it, which causes a whole other set of problems and may mean that the floor underneath the toilet will need to be replaced because of the significant damage.
Mold around the base of the toilet is a clear cut sign of a leaking toilet, and if you get a whiff of a foul smell each time you go near the toilet, then this also proves that the toilets may not be securely in place. A toilet that is not secure can allow the smell of sewage underneath it to go into the bathroom, which can truly be unpleasant.
Discolored Water
If the plumber turns on a faucet in the home and determines that discolored water is coming through the faucet, then it’s likely that they’ll check other faucets as well, but any kind of discolored water is a bad sign. Having discolored water coming from the faucets means that there may be a leak in the line somewhere that’s drawing in soil from outside, and it’s also possible that rust is a problem in the pipelines. The plumber will need to do several checks to determine why the water is discolored as well as how to fix it. Fixing discolored water isn’t necessarily an expensive fix, but getting the problem taken care of is absolutely necessary before moving into the home.
Plumbing inspections are important, so allow the great plumbers at NixCO Plumbing Inc., in Mason, Ohio, to inspect your new home by calling (513)-398-5907.